A CURE: THIS IS PERSONAL
Updated: Oct 5
VSG is not — and will never be — a bandwagon member.
Breast cancer awareness is not a trend, a color story, or something we discovered because October arrived.
This is personal.
My friend and soul sister, Adrienne Ross, has been part of my life for more than four decades. A breast cancer survivor. A woman who knows how to live a moment. We have shared some of the very best of our lives together.
Long before there was an A CURE tee, breast cancer research already had a place in one of the most important moments of my life.
At my wedding, in lieu of traditional favors, a donation was made to breast cancer research in Adrienne’s name.
The message was placed on every table.
That matters to me now because it tells the truth.
A CURE did not create the commitment.
It gave the commitment a name.
BLACK WOMEN: THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE URGENCY
For Black women, this conversation carries additional weight.
According to the American Cancer Society, Black women are 38% more likely to die from breast cancer than White women, even though Black women are about 5% less likely to be diagnosed with the disease. Black women are also less likely to have breast cancer found while it is still localized: about 58% of Black women are diagnosed at a localized stage, compared with 68% of White women. American Cancer Society
And stage matters.
For women overall, the five-year relative survival rate is greater than 99% when breast cancer is found while still localized, compared with 87% when it has spread regionally and 32% after distant spread. These figures describe groups of patients, not any one woman’s prognosis, but they show why finding disease earlier can matter so much. American Cancer Society
For Black women, early is not a slogan.
Early can change the entire conversation.
DOES MY FAMILY HISTORY MATTER?
Yes.
And this one can hurt, because in some Black families, we simply have not always known how to do this part.
Sometimes we have been so dug into the business of surviving that we missed the business of documenting.
Grandma may have been the head of the table, but nobody wrote down what she had.
Someone got sick and it became:
“That’s my business.”
Medical information stayed private. Diagnoses were whispered, softened, or never fully explained.
No blame.
No shade.
Just facts from a SIStah.
Your family history can help healthcare professionals assess your risk. A strong history of breast or ovarian cancer may also lead to a conversation about genetic counseling or genetic testing. CDC
So ask what you can.
Who had breast cancer?
Who had ovarian cancer?
How old were they when they were diagnosed?
Was it your mother?
Grandmother?
Sister?
Aunt?
And do not forget your father’s side of the family.
If you do not know everything, say that too. An incomplete family history is still something your healthcare professional needs to understand.
SOMETIMES LIFE KEEPS CUTTING THE LINE
And then there is another truth.
Sometimes we know we need to go, but life keeps cutting the line.
No paid time off.
A job that cannot spare us.
Bad insurance.
A high deductible.
Someone else in the family needs us first.
The screening center is miles away.
And now even gas is another consideration.
Those barriers are real. CDC data identify cost, lost or reduced work hours, lack of reliable transportation and other social needs among factors associated with women being less likely to stay current with mammograms. CDC
But Sis, this is where self-care becomes literal.
Put your own name back in the queue.
Current USPSTF guidance recommends screening mammography every two years from ages 40 through 74 for women at average risk. People with certain high-risk conditions may need a different screening plan, so individual risk should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional. USPSTF
If breast cancer runs in your family, do not simply assume that the standard timetable is automatically your timetable.
Ask.
Talk to a professional about your history and whether earlier or additional screening is appropriate for you.
KNOW YOUR BODY
Know what is normal for you.
Pay attention to changes.
If something seems different, do not sit with it for six months negotiating with yourself.
Call.
Ask.
Get it checked.
And for my plus-size sisters: your body deserves thorough, respectful healthcare too.
Ask your healthcare professional what screening is right for your body, your breast tissue,
your personal history and your family history.
Do not be embarrassed to ask another question.
Do not apologize for taking up time.
Do not make yourself smaller in a room where your health is being discussed.
You matter.
WE HAVE HISTORY HERE, TOO
We cannot talk about Black women, cancer, trust and medicine without remembering
Henrietta Lacks.
Henrietta Lacks died from cervical cancer in 1951 at just 31 years old. During her treatment at Johns Hopkins, cells taken from her tumor became the extraordinary cell line known as HeLa — cells capable of continuing to reproduce in the laboratory. HeLa cells went on to contribute to major areas of medical research, including work involving polio, cancer, viruses, genetics and vaccines. Hopkins Medicine
Henrietta did not know that her cells were being used for research. Johns Hopkins has since acknowledged that it should have done more over the decades to inform and work with the Lacks family, and her story remains central to discussions about informed consent, privacy and medical ethics. Hopkins Medicine
That history matters.
Not because we should live afraid of medicine.
Because we should walk into those rooms informed.
Ask questions.
Know your history.
Know your body.
Understand what is being recommended and why.
Henrietta Lacks changed world history in ways she never chose and never lived to see.
Her cells lived on.
Her name lived on.
And her story still asks something of us.
PUT YOURSELF ON THE LIST
No matter how hard.
Keep the appointment.
Ask the question.
Know your family history when you can.
Follow up when something feels wrong.
Move your body.
Take care of yourself.
Stay informed.
And understand that healthy habits support your health, but they do not replace appropriate screening or professional medical care.
This is not hyperbole.
This is ice-cold truth-telling.
Know early.
Ask early.
Act on what you know.
At VSG, we believe in prayer and works.
Pray.
And make the appointment.
Pray.
And ask the second question.
Pray.
And go back when something still does not feel right.
Because A CURE is not a slogan to me.
It is prayer.
It is memory.
It is advocacy.
It is women I love.
It is the hope that one day we will no longer need to have this conversation.
Until then:
VANGUARD.
Adrienne Ross has been my friend and soul sister for more than four decades.
A breast cancer survivor.A woman who knows how to live a moment.
We have shared some of the very best of our lives together.
Long before there was an A CURE tee, there was Adrienne. Long before there was a campaign, there was love, prayer, fear, survival, gratitude — and action.
At my wedding, breast cancer research was represented on every table, with a donation made in Adrienne’s name.
That is why I call her VANGUARD.
She came before the slogan.
Before the merchandise.
Before the October conversation.
A CURE did not create the commitment.
It gave the commitment a name.
Stay healthy.
Stay informed.
Put yourself on the list.
You matter.
We see you because we are you.
VSG
This article is for awareness and education and is not medical advice. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional about your personal risk, symptoms and screening needs.
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