Breast Cancer Awareness Activities and Events Planned at UM Shore Regional Health

University of Maryland Shore Regional Health will observe Breast Cancer Awareness month with various activities throughout the month of October, all aimed at increasing awareness of breast cancer and how it can be best detected, prevented and treated.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer, taking the lives of approximately 40,000 women annually. In the United States, one in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.

“Breast cancer awareness month is a great time to educate people about the importance of prevention and early detection of this life-altering disease,” says Roberta Lilly, MD, MPH, FACS, medical director of the Comprehensive Breast Center at UM Shore Regional Health.  “Regular mammography screening, self-breast examination and knowledge of your familial history of cancer all help lower breast cancer mortality by finding breast cancer early—when the chance of successful treatment is best and the survival rate is highest.”

Some of the planned activities include the following:

Pink Ribbon Hanging & Tree Lighting: Thursday, October 1, 4:30pm, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton

To kick off the activities surrounding Breast Cancer Awareness Month, staff and volunteers from the Comprehensive Breast Center will hang pink ribbons in honor of those patients who were treated by the Center in the past year. These ribbons will be hung on the large tree in the front circle at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton. A public ribbon ceremony will be held on Thursday, October 1 at 4:30pm. Once decorated with the ribbons, the tree will serve as a month-long reminder of the friends, neighbors and loved ones whose lives have been touched by breast cancer. This tree will be lit with pink lights throughout the month.

Cancer Survivor Art Gallery Opening & Reception, Thursday, October 1, 4-6:00pm, Comprehensive Breast Center at UM Shore Regional Health

The Gallery Wall at University of Maryland Shore Regional Health’s Comprehensive Breast Center will unveil its fall exhibit with an opening reception. The exhibit, which will be on display through the end of the year, will feature artwork created by breast cancer survivors. The public is invited to this free event.
The Gallery Wall was created in 2009 by Breast Center staff and a committee of local artists and breast cancer survivors.  The Center hosts four shows throughout the year, one each quarter, in an effort to bring awareness to the location and services that are provided to the community by the Center.

Breast Cancer Support Groups, all locations: 

• Cambridge: Women Supporting Women Breast Cancer Group meets the fourth Tuesday of every month, 6:30pm, at the Christ Episcopal Church, Cambridge. For more information call 410-463-0946 or 410-228-3161.
• Chestertown: Cancer Support Group meets the fourth Monday of every month, 7pm-9pm, at the Education Center, UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown. For more information call 410-778-7668, ext. 2175 or email Chrissy.Nelson@umm.edu.
• Easton: The CARES Breast Cancer Support Group meets the fourth Tuesday of every month, 6-7:30pm, at the Cancer Center, UM Shore Regional Health, 509 Idlewild Avenue, Easton. For more information call 410-820-6800.

Special Groups: 

• Look Good, Feel Better: This is a free American Cancer Society (ACS) program open to all women with cancer and is held on the third Monday every month, 10am-noon, at the Cancer Center, UM Shore Regional Health, 509 Idlewild Avenue, Easton.  The program offers tips for hair care, skin care and make-up, samples, and access to the Wig Room. For more information about this group, call 410-822-1000, ext. 5355.
• Survivors Offering Support (SOS) program: A unique program that pairs women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer with trained volunteer mentors.  Because SOS mentors are breast cancer survivors themselves, they can offer emotional support and insight to patients facing the same diagnosis, making the breast cancer journey an easier one to navigate.  If you are in need of support or would like to become a mentor and would like more information, call Edla Coleman, SOS coordinator, at 410-822-1000, ext. 5866 or by e-mail at ecoleman@umm.edu.

Throughout the five-county region, UM Shore Regional Health provides a full array of diagnostic services, including traditional 2-D mammography, ultrasound, breast MRI and biopsies. Advanced 3-D Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) is currently available at the Eleanor and Ethel Leh Women’s Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown and is anticipated to be available at UM Shore Regional Health’s Diagnostic and Imaging Center in Easton by the end of 2015. Support services include survivorship programs, support groups and other resources for patients, their family members, friends and loved ones. For more information about services provided by the Comprehensive Breast Center or the diagnostic services available throughout the region, visit www.umshoreregional.org.

UM Shore Regional Health will be opening its expanded Breast Center – the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center – in spring 2016 at 10 Martin Court in Easton. The Center is being named in recognition of a $5 million gift from The Clark Charitable Foundation, a private philanthropic organization funded by the A. James Clark Family.

The expansion is part of a $6.5 million renovation project currently in progress at UM Shore Regional Health’s Diagnostic and Imaging Center, which also encompasses the laboratory and imaging spaces within the facility. The Clark Comprehensive Breast Center, continued under the leadership of Roberta J. Lilly, MD, MPH, FACS, will continue to provide a variety of breast health services including consultation and diagnostic procedures. The new location will be adjacent to Shore Regional Health’s Cancer Center, which will provide patients in need of cancer treatments with a more convenient, comprehensive treatment approach.

“Our team is committed to providing high quality, patient-centered breast health services to the women we serve,” comments Dr. Lilly. “The new Clark Comprehensive Breast Center will enhance the convenience and accessibility of the services we provide, as patients will now be able to obtain consultation and diagnostic testing in one location.”

In addition to the diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant breast disease, the Center will continue to offer a multitude of support services including telemedicine genetic counseling services and the Wellness for Women program, a breast screening program that promotes early detection of breast cancer.

For additional information about the expansion project or making a contribution to the campaign, contact F. Graham Lee, vice president for philanthropy at UM Shore Regional Health, 410-822-1000, extension 5509 or by email, grahamlee@umm.edu.

As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,600 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.