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E S P RE S S I VO a s m a l l , i n t e n s e o r c h e s t r a SUNDAY, OC TOBER 2, 2022 at 4:00 PM Santa Cruz Community Church, 411 Roxas St. Santa Cruz Bouquet presents M I C H E L S I N G H E R , Artistic Director LO U I S E FA R R E N C ~ Nonet C L A U D E D E B U S S Y ~ "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" (arr. Iain Farrington) M A U R I C E R AV E L ~ Trois Poems by Stéphane Mallarmé, Omar Rodriguez, baritone ~ Introduction and Allegro, Kristin Lloyd, harp Special Senior Pricing • Tickets available at the door For ticket sales and more information visit espressorch.org September 2022 edition Special Advertising Supplement to the Santa Cruz Sentinel Young at Heart Young at Heart In Santa Cruz County Continued on page 2 Want to learn more about breast cancer? It's the right time In a couple of days, it is the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Held every October, this was launched more than 35 years ago to increase awareness of and ed- ucation about the dis- ease—and to raise funds to benefit research related to breast cancer and its cause, prevention, diagno- sis, treatment, and cure. The National Breast Can- cer Foundation's website, nationalbreastcancer.org, states that "1 in 8 women in the US will be diag- nosed with breast cancer in her lifetime" and that "Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Amer- ican women, except for skin cancers. It is estimat- ed that in 2022, approx- imately 30% of all new women cancer diagnoses will be breast cancer." This seems like the perfect time to share some facts about breast cancer and also talk to a local expert. Jessica Santilla- no, MD FACS (Fellow, American College of Surgeons), who joined the staff of Surgical Associates of Monterey Bay in 2014, was happy to speak with us. "In- creased awareness leads to improved detection and diagnosis at an earlier stage of disease," says Dr. Santillano. "Often, the earlier we find cancer, the better the chance of survival." Santillano and her colleagues care for patients primarily at Dominican Hospital and the Santa Cruz Surgery Center, which is affiliated with Dominican. I asked Dr. Santillano about any warning signs to watch out for. "Two of the most common risk factors for breast cancer are being female and get- ting older—two things we can't avoid! Breast chang- es or concerns should be discussed with your primary care provider." Sometimes people un- fortunately believe myths about breast cancer that are not true. For example, there is a myth that breast cancer always causes a lump you can feel—the fact is, there might not be a lump, especially when the cancer first develops (for details, visit the non- profit site breastcancer. org). Also, some individu- als believe that men can't get breast cancer. They can, but breast cancer occurs "nearly 100 times more often in women than in men" (from breastcan- cer.org). Another myth is that if you have pain in your breast, it's cancer. "Breast cancer does not usually cause pain," says Dr. Santillano. "Breast pain, or mastodynia, is more frequently due to benign masses, cysts or hormonal changes." Some positive news: "In recent years, perhaps co- inciding with the decline in prescriptive hormone replacement therapy after menopause, we have seen a gradual reduction in female breast cancer inci- dence rates among women aged 50 and older," states the NBCF website. "Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1990, in part due to better screening and early detection, increased awareness, and continu- ally improving treatment options." Some of these improved screening methods are due to 3D mammography, automated breast ultra- sound (for dense breast tissue), and more avail- ability and accessibility to genetic testing. "We have 3D mammography and automated breast ultra- sound available locally at the Dominican Breast Center," says Dr. Santil- lano. You can't prevent cancer, but you can do things to improve your general health—including exer- cise, which is increasingly important as a person gets older. It is also smart to maintain a healthy weight, avoid cigarette smoking, and limit alcohol con- sumption. These are all included in the "healthy habits" section of the NBCF site, and many other websites and doctors agree with these sugges- tions. When I asked Dr. Santil- lano about eating for good health, she replied, "In By Tara Fatemi Walker Bigstock Photo Peggy Pollard, Teacher www.PeggyDance.weebly.com Join the funnest social dancing in Santa Cruz! Santa Cruz Waltz & Swing In-Person & Online Dances & Lessons Meet cool & sophisticated new friends!

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