Rene Syler,
former CBS
broadcaster
and now
Good
Enough Mother
blogger, took
control of
her breast
cancer risk.
Know your roots
“You’ve got to ask
questions of everyone in
your family until you get
some answers,” Rene says.
Based on your family history, your
doctor can help determine when you
should start getting mammograms
and how often. Your doctor may
also recommend genetic testing to
see if you are predisposed to breast
and ovarian cancers.
If you don’t have a family history,
don’t brush off breast cancer as a
possibility. “Family history is actually
a factor in only 10 percent of breast
cancer diagnoses,” Rene says. “If
you’re a woman, you’re at risk.”
Many
women don’t think of their breasts as a burden. But for Rene Syler, they
were constant reminders of her family’s battle with breast cancer.
The former CBS broadcaster and now
Good Enough Mother
blogger was
only in grade school when her father was diagnosed with the disease. Her
mother’s breast cancer diagnosis followed almost 25 years later.
“I would go every year and have a mammogram, and you would see these
crazy white flecks,” Rene says. “After four biopsies, I knew this wasn’t the
way I wanted to live.”
Rene decided to make a strategic, preventive move to eliminate her breast
cancer risk: In 2011, she had a double mastectomy. Her journey to this decision
now serves as a platform for empowering women to learn about and be proactive
regarding their own breast health.
“You have to be as good to yourself as you are to everyone else,” Rene tells
women — and that starts with your wellness.
Get to know
your body
Schedule a
mammogram
The American
Cancer Society
recommends that women
of average risk schedule their
first mammogram at age 40. But
many women make excuses, even
saying they’d rather not know if
they have cancer.
“You’ll know if you have breast
cancer, but will you know early
enough to do something about it?”
Rene says. “Breast cancer, if caught
early, is nearly 100 percent curable.
“We have to stay on top of this.
You can’t say you’re too busy for a
mammogram. No one is that busy.”
WOMEN’S HEALTH
▸
TAKE CONTROL OF
YOUR BREAST HEALTH
Schedule your
mammogram today by
calling the Breast Center at
Methodist Dallas Medical
Center at
214-947-3441
.
Do breast self-exams
“There’s a lot of data that says self-exams don’t help, but I don’t think
there can be a bad thing in knowing your body,” Rene says. “You need
to be able to tell when things aren’t right.”
For tips on self-exams, visi
6
Methodist Dallas Medical Center
•
❁
Fall 2014
