Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/607197
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMIE MCCARTHY/WIREIMAGE (JOHN); JON KOPALOFF/FILMMAGIC (EMMYS); IDA MAE ASTUTE/ABC VIA GETTY IMAGES (ROBERTS); LONGVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY (DUBIN) Dr. Eva Andersson-Dubin founded the Dubin Breast Center of the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City with her husband, the fi nancier Glenn Dubin, to create a comprehensive, integrated program for breast cancer patients. Since its founding fi ve years ago, the center has treated nearly 100,000 patients, including Sandra Lee. Here, Dr. Andersson-Dubin and Dr. Elisa R. Port, codirector and chief of breast surgery at the Dubin Breast Center, discuss the latest news con- cerning the disease. What prompted you to develop the Dubin Breast Center? Dr. Eva Andersson-Dubin: I had breast cancer when I was 41 years old. So I'm a survivor for 13 years. I devel- oped the center because I wanted a very patient-oriented place where you could get all the care in one place. It eliminates all the extra appointments, extra waiting, and extra anxiety. As we grew, I added other services that, to me, are important, such as nutri- tion, psychology, psychiatry, yoga, massage therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture, etc. The American Cancer Society recently changed its screening guidelines, pushing the starting age for mammograms to 45, chang- ing the recommended frequency of mammograms, and stating that clinical and breast self-exams didn't have clear benefi ts. What are your thoughts about this? Dr. Elisa R. Port: We're opposed. Everyone agrees, including the American Cancer Society, that mam- mograms reduce the risk of dying of breast cancer. The issue is what people choose to prioritize. We know that mammograms aren't perfect, and there are false positives, and that peo- ple get anxious [with those] results. But in our experience, most patients believe this is a reasonable price to pay to make sure you're doing every- thing you can to [detect] a cancer early, to improve your chance of sur- viving, and also to reduce your need for more aggressive treatment. EAD: Very few people are talking about how waiting and detecting the cancer later impacts quality of life. If [through early detection] you can have a lumpectomy and radiation versus [a later diagnosis that neces- sitates] more aggressive surgery, plus chemotherapy, that's a whole differ- ent quality of life. Is there a link between nutrition and breast cancer? ERP: There is no specifi c dietary ele- ment that increases or decreases your risk of getting breast cancer, but we do know that obesity, and being overweight [in general], increases the risk, and if you've had breast cancer, being overweight increases the risk of it recurring. What is the role of exercise as a pre- ventive measure? EAD: Exercise is important, not only [to reduce the risk of developing] breast cancer but also for overall health. It can be as simple as walking for 30 minutes a day. Dr. Eva Andersson-Dubin and Dr. Elisa Port of the Dubin Breast Center talk about the latest breast cancer treatments and lifestyle factors impacting the disease. ON THE FRONT LINES You have to educate yourself, understand your options, and do what's best for you. All the advice and options presented upon diagnosis can be confusing. To the best of your ability, manage your health, and by all means, the best way to combat cancer is through prevention and screening. Do you perceive yourself as a woman with breast cancer or a woman who had a double mastectomy? Neither. I am a cancer survivor. I am cancer-free! Talk about how you get breast cancer as a couple, as a family. Anyone who has ever loved someone with cancer knows the pain of seeing them go through it. I have experienced that with friends and loved ones. So while my body may have had the cancer, it did impact everyone in the family. It's a gray cloud over everything until you take control of it. Like any stress, it impacts a couple and a family. What did you learn about breast cancer that you didn't know before your diagnosis? Did you think you were at risk? I am in the prime of my life, healthy, happy, and didn't consider myself to be at risk. However, we all know people who live incredibly healthy lifestyles who get cancer—the woman who never smoked but got lung cancer. I was shocked at my diagnosis because I didn't think I was at risk or that it would happen to me. Cancer is the great equalizer. We are all at risk, and this is why I believe screening is so important. It saves lives. MA FROM TOP: Sandra Lee with Sir Elton John at the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 14th annual An Enduring Vision Benefit this past November; at the 67th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in September; Lee talks to Robin Roberts about being cancer-free on Good Morning America. Dr. Eva Andersson- Dubin at the Dubin Breast Center, which she founded with her husband, financier Glenn Dubin. MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 107