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In the coming weeks, women all over the world will sport tiny pink ribbon pins, to support, encourage and remind one another that living healthy should remain a top priority. The reality is, consistent, yearly mammograms save lives of mothers, daughters, sisters and friends. The time to schedule an appointment is now — October is breast cancer awareness month.

Many women believe that because there is no history of breast cancer in their family, they have a better chance of avoiding it. According to Gwen Davis-Gideon, director of radiology at Physicians Regional Medical Center-Collier Boulevard, that theory could not be more incorrect.

“If you are a woman, you are a candidate. There doesn’t have to be any breast cancer in your family,” says Gideon.

“If you’re overweight, eat a lot of fatty foods, that doesn’t help either. And it’s very difficult for the age group we are targeting, 40 to 45 and older, because it’s easier for them to put on weight, and more of a struggle to lose pounds.”

Women should have their first mammography done between the ages of 35 and 40. If a mother, sister or someone in the family has a history of cancer, it should be done at 35. Physicians Regional Medical Center-Collier Boulevard offers a special gift to women getting a mammography in the next few weeks, during “Breast Cancer Awareness” month.

Gideon says the biggest challenge in the sunshine state, is getting accurate, up-to-date patient records from previous doctors, before a scheduled mammogram appointment here.

“So many women in Florida have gotten previous films done up north. And it’s so important for them to have those available. Even if it’s a screening mammogram, they need to have their previous films. They should call the facility where they had their previous mammograms done, usually one phone call takes care of it. Sometimes they need to send or fax a letter with their signature on it, requesting that the films be sent here,” Gideon informs.

HARMONY OSWALD / Eagle staff

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Physicians Regional Medical Center-Collier Boulevard will host a free public luncheon for breast cancer awareness on October 30, in the education room at the hospital. Doctors will be on hand to speak about breast health, screening and equipment, like that shown here, which is used for detection.

“That’s the way to get the absolute best mammogram you can get. When we’re done, we digitize them, and we can immediately send them back up north or return them to the patient.”

Physicians Regional Medical Center-Collier Boulevard boasts high tech digital mammography, which allows for viewing extreme details that you wouldn’t get with older “analogue” style films. If a doctor notices a problem which needs followed up, complete breast biopsies under ultrasound, MRI and CT can be done right on site. A breast coil is even available for really difficult cases.

“The kind of follow up depends on what kind of cancer we find, where it is and how aggressive it is,” explains Gideon. “The earlier it’s found, the better chances someone has. There are many different kinds of cancer in the breast, but not every lump is cancer. I think it scares a lot of women — they think if they find something, it is automatically cancer. Many times, if we find something, it isn’t a cancer at all. It’s often a benign tumor or a cyst which can be removed. We have a lot more options now than we had just 10 years ago. The most important thing is early detection. That’s why we stress the yearly mammogram. The earlier you find it, the better chances you have of survival.”

Sandy Holdgate, a Marco Island resident since 2004, knows all too well how it feels to beat breast cancer. This month, Holdgate celebrates 25 years as a survivor, winning three separate battles with the disease in her lifetime.

“I was 35 when I first found out I had breast cancer. I was devastated. I thought I was going to die. I went through 33 radiation treatments. It took me about two years to realize I was going to make it,” Holdgate remembers. “Then I was fine for nine years, when another cancer showed up in my other breast. At that time I was 44. It was awful. I thought for sure, that was it,” Holdgate explains. “My husband just kept telling me, ‘You did it once, you can do it again.’ So I had the lump removed and 33 more radiation treatments. After I got through chemo the second time, when I got through it, I discovered Reach to Recovery, a volunteer organization. I would visit with women who needed help. It kind of made me forget about me. But then in 1994, I was 48 and diagnosed again with cancer in the right breast. I couldn’t believe it. I was a wreck. My husband kept saying ‘third time’s a charm.’ And I thought, ‘this is the last time.’ You surprise yourself. You don’t know how strong you are,” Holdgate confirms.

HARMONY OSWALD / Eagle staff

Karen Gibbons, mammography technologist at Physicians Regional Medical Center- Collier Boulevard runs a weekly quality assurance test on the Hologic Selenia Digital Mammography Machine. If the machine detects problems built into the “phantom” breast, such as cysts, masses or calcifications, then Gibbons knows for sure the machine is working properly.

After recuperating, doctors advised Holdgate that the likelihood of her cancer returning was very high, so a bilateral-mastectomy was performed. Since then, Holdgate has used her experience to help others, continuing to volunteer for Marco Island’s Reach to Recovery program.

“Luckily, I found the lump and it was detected early,” says Holdgate. “Mammograms weren’t even being done on 35 year olds at the time. I wouldn’t rest until all the tests were done. Early detection saved my life. Looking back I think, ‘I don’t know if I could do it again.’ Nothing’s ever cast in stone, you just kind of have to roll with things. I hope that I give people some inspiration.”

The older the individual, the more important it is to have a mammogram done consistently. At Physicians Regional Medical Center-Collier Boulevard, women are more than welcome to view the facility and meet the technologist, to feel as comfortable as possible. The staff understands that it’s not “fun,” and it’s something people just want to get completed with as little discomfort as possible.

“I’ve heard stories from people who had a bad experience elsewhere. If someone is very sensitive, we encourage them to let the technologist know ahead of time it. This makes a big difference,” Gideon explains. “When we use compression, we don’t have to do it for as long, since we use digital instead of analogue. We tell the patient ‘you let us know when to stop.’ A lot of women will tell us it’s not half as bad as when they had it done in the past. That’s because we give them control of how much we use.”

For sensitive patients, Gideon recommends, using Tylenol beforehand. To ensure the most accurate results possible, all women should avoid using caffeine, any kind of powder, perfume or deodorant before a mammogram. These items could mimic a problem area on the breast.

“We all know someone who’s been touched by breast cancer. A friend, a relative, someone at church. So you have to support them. If you are a woman who has a daughter and they’re in their mid 30s or 40s and they haven’t had a baseline mammogram yet, they should definitely have it done. If your mother, grandmother, sister or friend hasn’t had a mammogram in years, urge them to have it done. Many times, we have groups of friend who come all in the same day. They have it done, and afterwards they go out to lunch. It doesn’t take long, only about ten minutes. We get them done in no time!” Gideon says.

On October 30, Physicians Regional Medical Center-Collier Boulevard will host a public luncheon to promote breast cancer awareness. The event will take place in the education room at the hospital and doctors will be on hand to speak regarding breast health, the testing process and the equipment involved. Participants will also learn about breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Seats are limited.

To make reservations for this event or to schedule a mammogram, call 354-6000 today.