Maria, the community liaison for Crawford County Memorial Hospital, sat down with Dr. Juan Santamaria to talk about breast cancer, as October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Dr. Santamaria, who is originally from Panama, is a surgical oncologist who works out of the Omaha area with the Nebraska Medical Center and the Buffett Cancer Center, where his practice focuses on breast cancer surgery and research. Dr. Santamaria tells us what breast cancer is, whether only women get breast cancer, and if there are ways to prevent it.
Dr. Santamaria tells us that his father is also a medical oncologist, which is what helped him get into medical practice. Dr. Santamaria became a surgeon, and then a cancer surgeon. He chose to perform breast cancer surgery because, first of all, it’s very common among women, so there’s a lot of potential to help many patients, and that gives him great satisfaction.
Dr. Santamaria would like us to know that although it is very common, breast cancer is very curable, especially if detected early. Most breast cancers occur in women, and although very rare, it can also affect men. Dr. Santamaria advises that, in addition to monitoring your body for symptoms, the best way to detect breast cancer early is through a mammogram, which is recommended annually after age 40. It is an X-ray that helps detect breast cancer before symptoms develop. “A mammogram prevents advanced cancer. It doesn’t prevent breast cancer itself, but it does prevent advanced cancer. To prevent it, there are some general things to do: eat well, maintain a healthy lifestyle, avoid smoking, avoid tobacco, try to avoid obesity, maintain an active lifestyle with exercise, and also eliminate alcohol. Also, know your family history… [If cancer runs in the family], it can indicate that you’re at high risk… so educate yourself individually about your risk of developing breast cancer… The best tool we have to fight breast cancer and avoid dying from breast cancer is a mammogram – it’s a safe, quick test, doesn’t cause harm, doesn’t cause cancer, and can cause short-term discomfort. Most of the time, the mammogram will be normal, and that can give you some peace of mind that everything will be okay. 😊 But on the rare occasions that there is something, that there is cancer there, it’s important to know and act early!” Dr. Santamaria advises women who may be afraid: “You have to overcome that fear and that stigma by going!”
Don’t forget to schedule your mammogram this month if you haven’t already. Our radiology department at Crawford County Memorial Hospital is giving away gift bags to those who get a mammogram during the month of October. To schedule your appointment, call the hospital at 712.265.2500.
