CAMP LESTER, Okinawa — As a breast cancer survivor, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Valerie Riege doesn’t want women to feel discouraged about a diagnosis.
"When you hear cancer, it doesn’t mean death," said Riege, head of the Pharmacy Department at the U.S. Naval Hospital, Okinawa.
An avid runner and cyclist, Riege, 48, said she didn’t let cancer deter her active lifestyle.
A double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in the spring of 2007 decreased Riege’s upper body strength, but she continued to push herself.
Today, she bikes, plays Frisbee with her staff and is working toward 40 push-ups as part of her physical training requirements.
And she plans to participate Oct. 31 in the 5K Breast Cancer Run/Walk at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. Donations will go toward breast cancer research.
The run is one of several events the Navy hospital has planned for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
"I have a full life. I’m totally blessed," Riege said. "You don’t have to stop living."
The National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 182,000 women and nearly 2,000 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
More than 40,000 women and 450 men will die from the disease this year, the agency estimates.
Early detection is paramount to surviving breast cancer, said Cmdr. Shelley Perkins, a Camp Lester general surgeon.
"It’s a lot more comforting to get a mammogram than to be treated for breast cancer at a late stage," she said.
The hospital is offering mammograms on Mondays this month and next that do not require a referral from a primary care physician. Two new procedures available at the hospital — the sentinel lymph node biopsy and the stereotatic biopsy — can remove calcification or suspicious tissues from the breast to test for cancer, Perkins said.
She stressed that mammograms and ultrasounds detect only 85 percent of masses or lumps in a breast, which is why breast self-exams are critical.
Despite increased focus on awareness campaigns and medical screenings, Perkins said, half of her patients don’t keep up monthly breast self-exams.
"It’s important to know your body and know what’s normal," she said.
A monthly self-exam prompted Riege to seek confirmation from her doctor about a lump she’d discovered in her breast in February 2007.
Months earlier, Riege underwent genetic testing after learning that her two older sisters had breast cancer.
The results showed that Riege carried a breast cancer gene, which, in certain mutated forms, can increase risk for breast cancer.
And now she had a lump.
She said "terrible thoughts" crossed her mind, but she realized she had her husband and four daughters to live for.
After watching her two older sisters endure chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer, Riege opted for the double mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery.
Her two sisters also survived their cancers.
Now, the lingering concern is for her four daughters. She said chances are that one will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
"That’s the dilemma," she said. "It’s exciting and sad to see what their future holds." Riege said women need to educate themselves about breast care and breast cancer risk factors, such as family health history, age and diet. Being overweight is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer.
"Be diligent on monthly exams. If you feel something, seek confirmation," she said. "There are people here to help you."
Upcoming breast cancer awareness events
Mammogram Mondays: Appointments are available for Oct. 20, Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 at the mammography clinic at Camp Lester Hospital. No referral is needed. The clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call DSN 643-7378.Breast Cancer Essay & Art Contest: Share your experiences as a breast cancer survivor, a friend or a family member. Submit artwork or a 1,000-word essay to the hospital’s Health Promotion Department. Prizes will be awarded in both categories. Deadline for submission is Oct. 15.Sunrise Yoga for Breast Cancer Awareness: The event will be at 6 a.m. Oct. 25 in the front parking lot of Camp Lester Hospital. Breast cancer information will be available, and survivors will be recognized.5K Run/Walk for Breast Cancer: It will begin at 6:30 a.m. Oct. 31 at Risner Fitness Center on Kadena Air Base.Participants in Sunrise Yoga and the 5K Run/Walk are encouraged to wear pink, and donations will be accepted at both events. Proceeds will benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
To register for any of the events or for more information, contact Andrea Deen-Hampton at 643-7906 or e-mail andrea.deen@med.navy.mil.
— Stars and Stripes
