An Advocate for Early Detection of Breast Cancer
- Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kenya Moore is one of the latest in the franchise to hop on the Dancing With the Stars train, which is in its 30th season.
- The Detroit-born actor and producer once documented a terrifying breast cancer scare on the hit Bravo show.
- Fortunately, Moore’s lumps were benign, but she shared a valuable lesson on early detection, and how she learned to face her fears head on.
The Detroit-born actor and producer once documented a terrifying breast cancer scare on the hit Bravo show when she joined the cast in 2013. Luckily, she wound up being okay, and has gone on to educate women with her story. Now, she’s feeling the love right back as she competes in the challenging competition series.
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Moore danced the foxtrot to Kiss Me More by Doja Cat ft. SZA and nabbed a score of 26 out of 30 from the judges, which is quite high for a first dance.
Moore’s adorable daughter Brooklyn, 2, donned a matching ensemble from home while cheering her mother along virtually.
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The TV star-turned-dancer expressed how she aims to live her best life after turning 50.
Facing Your Fears
For Moore, living carefree wasn’t always the case.
In 2013, Moore’s OB/GYN discovered a lump (actually three) in her breast during a routine exam and she was sent to get a mammogram. She was so fearful of the outcome that she admitted she never told anyone or initially called back for the results.
“No woman wants to be told they could possibly have cancer,” Moore shared on a Bravo blog at the time. “I thought the worst and took inventory of my life.”
Her head was flooded with common questions that often swarm people before a potential diagnosis.
“Did I have my personal affairs in order? What if I couldn't be treated? Would I have to undergo chemotherapy? Have a mastectomy? Lose all my hair? All these questions flooded my mind,” she admitted. “The fact was and is I could possibly die from cancer.”
One of the top pieces of advice that a doctor will give a patient is to not worry about anything until it’s time to worry about something. It’s difficult to keep paranoia and negative thoughts at bay, but all that worrying could most likely wind up being nothing. It’s crucial to get into your screenings, but it’s even more important to follow up with the results. The mental anguish of not knowing could harm your health. And there are a larger majority of people with benign lumps than there are malignant.
Moore has cancer in her family, and suffered through some trauma watching them deal with the disease, so her fears are understandable, but luckily she had good news and now uses her scare to urge people to face these issues head on.
“My family's prayers worked when my doctor announced that my lumps were benign. Although I am still at risk, we now have the knowledge to stay ahead of the disease,” she wrote. “I realize that I have to live a less stressful life and not let people affect me the way they have … I beg all women to get a mammogram. If you get a call back, GO BACK. BE BRAVE. Early detection is the key to survival.”
Mammograms are still the best tool for screening for breast cancer
Screening for Breast Cancer
Breast self-examination is one of the many areas in breast cancer where a woman needs to decide between what makes sense for her and what the recommended guidelines say. If doing breast self-exams is something that works for you, and your doctor agrees, then you should do it.
Getting to know how your breasts look and feel may be one of the best ways to recognize when something is not quite right. That way, you can stay in tune with yourself in between mammograms, and be on the lookout for anything suspicious that warrants an earlier trip to the doctor.
- While standing straight in front of a mirror, place your hands on your hips and look at your breasts for any swelling, bulging, changes in shape of breast or nipple (inverted), redness, rashes, or any fluid leaking. Then do the same with your arms in the air.
- Next, while lying down, use your right hand to examine your left breast and vice versa, while using your first three fingers to apply pressure. Ensure you cover the entire breast area, from your collarbone to below your ribcage and from your armpit to your cleavage area. Do the same self-exam standing or sitting up. Be sure to use light to medium pressure for the middle breast area and firmer pressure when feeling deep breast tissue.
Learning About Genetic Testing
About ten percent of breast cancers are hereditary, says Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, director of the High-Risk Cancer Program at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center.
What this means is any genetic testing offered to the average woman will likely come back negative. That's why she recommends genetic testing usually only for women who have a family history of rare cancers, or family members with breast or ovarian cancer and other cancers associated with Lynch Syndrome (a genetic condition that puts you at high risk for certain cancers), or if there's a family history of common cancers diagnosed at a young age.
If you do have this family history, Dr. Ginsburg recommends asking about your cancer center's hereditary cancer program and/or finding a genetic counselor through the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC ) to discuss what kind of genetic testing is right for you.
Learning about genetic testing
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