WHO IS DONNA MARANO?

INTRODUCTION: By Alexandra Fiederlein
The WOMEN'S HEALTH DIGEST recognizes Ms. Donna Marano for her public service in supporting those afflicted with Breast Cancer on Long Island, NY. Her dedication to offering resources, financial support as well as interpersonal and emotional aid to the many cancer victims undergoing care is appreciated by so many.

Donna truly embodies our message to GET CHECKED NOW! by bringing awareness to the importance of early detection of breast cancer in our communities. Breast cancer does not discriminate; as we have seen in recent years, it is increasingly affecting younger women who do not fit into the stereotypical screening age recommendations. The reality is that all younger women should be screened via ultrasound to determine if they have dense breasts, which may put them at risk for breast cancer, and discuss an appropriate screening protocol with their providers. 

In this recent interview, Donna mentioned how gene testing has become a significant part of our current reality. It is more accessible than ever before, and we should be utilizing it to take better control of our health as well as our families' health. It is better to know if you are at risk so you can take preventive action rather than living in ignorance. With current advancements in health technology, such as genetic testing and ultrasound, we have the potential to detect breast cancer earlier and therefore prevent more deaths, as long as we utilize these tools to their fullest potential!

BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR & LONG ISLAND CANCER CARE ADVOCATE

From an interview on 8/27/2024- with DONNA MARANO President of the West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition

For my 50th birthday, 16 years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Not the gift I was looking for but the gift I was given. I am blessed that it was detected early and I was able to go through my mastectomy and reconstructive surgery treatment within the first year. I was done and onto my new life. It's a new life after breast cancer and I hope everybody gets to enjoy their new life afterwards. I gave back by joining the coalition being a volunteer, and now 16 years later, I'm the current president.

NO ONE IS ALONE WITH CANCER
The West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition began 32 years ago conducting grassroots fundraising and helping people as they are going through breast cancer treatments. While in treatment we assist with medical copays and we'll provide a wig within 24 hours. They go to the salon and pick out the one that is for them. We get them to and from treatment so that their family doesn't have to take time off from work and we will feed the family, clean the house, whatever it is that helps make their life a little easier while they're going through their treatment. 

At the Coalition, our dream is the cure for cancer so we don't have to do this anymore. Reality is, as long as people are going through this, we need to do fundraising and raise the funds so that we can help people going through it. I tell people it's a temporary situation. We're here to help you while you're going through it and once it's behind you, you're onto your new life- the one that's so much better. And hopefully they'll come back and help the next person who gets diagnosed and let them realize it's a temporary situation. 

We have to fight. You have to be positive and you have to get through it. Today's doctors are phenomenal! The education that they have, the methods of treatment available weren't there 20, 30 years ago. If you're diagnosed, the chances are really good that you're gonna beat this... and we're here to help you get through it. 

ON RECURRENCE
16 years ago when I was diagnosed, they talked about recurrence within five years. And if you got through the next five years, you were downhill. Everything should be good now.  Nowadays, I see and know people in our support group who are getting re-occurrences 16 years out, 20 years out, 30 years out. So recurrence is not limited to five years anymore; we've met people who got re-occurrence in three years. The lesson here is that you must constantly be your own advocate for your health. You must constantly do your annual checkups-- annual screenings are so important! If you don't, you're just fooling yourself.

In my my situation, I was the first one in my very large family to be diagnosed with breast cancer or any cancer. We, didn't have cancer in our family. And lo and behold, here I am diagnosed. Now it's the entire family must go annually for their checkups. 

EARLIER DETECTION & GENE TESTING
It's so disturbing that these young women are being diagnosed at these early ages like 27 or 32 to 42. I'm getting too many young people lately getting diagnosed...  they're just too young. This should not be happening. What's causing it? You can blame it on everything from Covid to the environment. 

Gene testing is now part of our current reality. It is accessible and it can make your diagnosis easier to work with. You can get answers about yourself and can do something about it at a much earlier stage. Stage zero is a hell of a lot better than stage four folks. If there's something in your family genes, it's foolish not to have gene testing done. In my family, my situation, nobody had it. Avail yourself and your family of this test; whoever in your family that got diagnosed (with cancer), they need genetic testing done so that your doctors know what to start looking for. 

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The West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition for Long Island (WIBCC) is a grassroots nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501 (c) 3 volunteer organization established in response to the high incidences of breast cancer on Long Island.  Since its founding in 1992, WIBCC, the first breast coalition on Long Island, has proudly raised the consciousness of the need to “lend a helping hand” and assists the many women, men and their families manage the hardships and unexpected expenses associated with a cancer diagnosis. Without the help of generous community and business donations and volunteers, we would not have accomplished such great success over these past 32 years with our fundraising efforts.

It has been through this success that WIBCC and its “Lend a Helping Hand” program is able to provide a variety of services to those that need our help in over 26 communities across Long Island while they undergo treatment and/or post-operative care for breast and/or gynecological cancers. These services are customized to clients’ individual needs and include such assistance as transportation to and from treatments, wigs, prosthesis, housecleaning, food, child care, medical deductibles as well as many other services needed to help them maintain their households and remain on the path to restored health.

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CANCER ADVOCATES FIGHT FOR ANSWERS
By Geri Barish

Getting the word out is vital when it comes to supporting our community in the fight against cancer.  Part of the search for answers is learning how to assess your own life - including your history, the area where you live, what you eat, what you breathe and your genetic blueprint. This may lead to identifying any kind of cancer in the family.  In Donna's case (where there was no cancer in the family), staying vigilant in understanding how cancer happens and how it affects us and our families is the key to awareness. Advocacy is also about supporting one another. As we wait for the cure, we also need to live a full life- this includes staying proactive with our health and staying in touch with the latest solutions. There's a lot more work to be done- and because we are fighters, we have to keep asking questions. Look at your environment- get genetic testing for gene mutation in your lineage, don't ignore checkups- find out if you have any risk factors. That's where education and research comes together. 

ANGELS ON THE BATTLEFIELD
By: Dr. Robert Bard

For the past 20 years,  I keep hearing about this West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition all the way here (in Manhattan). They're apparently one of the largest breast cancer advocacy groups that truly supports the recently diagnosed and the cancer survivors. Through our many patients and medical colleagues from Long Island, the cancer cluster and the elevated rate of breast cancer is constantly emphasized which is why having 'foot soldiers' like Donna Marano and her organization to empower breast cancer victims is such a vital part of our battlefield. Her WIBC is just one of many ways that Donna fights cancer in her own way and as a member of the medical community, I applaud her for her tireless work.  Today, our Women's Health Collaborative and the AngioInstitute proudly endorse Ms. Marano's work and the continuing achievements of WIBC.

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EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

ALEXANDRA FIEDERLEIN is the Associate Director of Public Outreach for the Women's Health Collaborative. Her history in medical research and her passion for functional and integrative medicine heavily contributed to her work in health education, publishing and advocacy. Alexandra is involved in various projects including EARLIER DETECTION, DENSE BREAST AWARENESS, RECURRENCE PREVENTION and other public support programs in support of underserved women nationwide.

GERI BARISH is the executive director of Hewlett House and president of 1 in 9: The Long Island Breast Cancer Action Coalition was one of several women honored as a Women of Distinction. Geri is a 5 time cancer survivor and activist honored with a lifetime achievement award from Suffolk County. A leader in the battle against the high rate of cancer on Long Island for the past 23 years, she has spearheaded changes to local, state and federal laws that resulted in new policies and helped clean up toxins in our environment.

ROBERT L. BARD, MD  (Diagnostic Imaging Specialist)- Having paved the way for the study of various cancers both clinically and academically, Dr. Robert Bard co-founded the 9/11 CancerScan program to bring additional diagnostic support to all first responders from Ground Zero. His main practice in midtown, NYC (Bard Diagnostic Imaging- www.CancerScan.com) uses the latest in digital Imaging technology has been also used to help guide biopsies and in many cases, even replicate much of the same reports of a clinical invasive biopsy. His most recent program is dedicated to the reporting of mental health diagnostic and innovative solutions including the use of modern neuromagnetic technologies and protocols in his MEDTECH REVIEWS program. 

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RECURRENCE PREVENTION SCANNING

By: Dr. Robert L. Bard

After cancer surgery, there are many preventive measures to support a safe and healthy recovery and to reduce the risk of recurrence. The AngioInstitute recommends standardizing a postop maintenance process called RECURRENCE PREVENTION SCANS. Through the use of 3D Doppler Ultrasound, post-cancer surgery patients can subscribe to a regular monitoring program to detect possible lesions and micro-tumors that may have fallen under the radar. Moreover, proactive monitoring can mitigate complications such as post-surgical Infections, recurring Pain, Swelling, neuropathy from nerve damage, Scarring, Fluid buildup or Blood clots. All this can be seen and scanned by a seasoned imaging specialist trained to support postop patient management. (See complete feature and video)

WHAT IS ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE?

By: Dr. Roberta Kline

Where Recurrence Prevention Scans are implemented after cancer treatment or surgery, Active Surveillance is often recommended once you are diagnosed of an early stage cancer- one that is identified as slow-growing such as prostate, breast, kidney, and thyroid cancer. Monitoring cancers during its very early stages (instead of immediate treatment) may be a good option. This means closely watching a patient’s condition but not giving any treatment unless there are changes in test results that show the condition is getting worse. Active surveillance may be used to avoid or delay the need for treatments such as radiation therapy or surgery, which can cause side effects or other problems. During active surveillance, certain exams and tests, such as blood tests, imaging tests, and biopsies, are done on a regular schedule to monitor the condition. Active surveillance may be used in certain types of prostate cancer and in some other types of cancer. It is a type of expectant management. (See complete report)

GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TESTING: Genetic Mutation can be Inherited

When a specific cancer type is prevalent in one side of the family, the cancer is recognized as a FAMILIAL cancer. Most of them are caused by genetic mutation in a gene related to cancer susceptibility. In addition, a term called "family cancer syndrome" (or "hereditary cancer syndrome") is a rare disorder in which family members have an above-average chance of developing a certain type or types of cancer. Family cancer syndromes are caused by inherited genetic variants in certain cancer-related genes. It is reported that up to 10% of all cancer cases may be caused by inherited genetic mutation or changes. These are called CANCER PREDISPOSITION genes. Individuals who carry a mutant allele of these genes have an increased susceptibility to cancer. It is now widely identified that an accumulation of genetic or epigenetic alterations affect the conversion of normal cells to cancer cells. [see complete)\

DENSE BREAST SCREENING: Mitigating False Negatives with Ultrasound

Oftentimes, mammography gets false negatives when scanning dense breast tissue. Because dense breast tissue appears white on a mammogram, it cloaks posssible tumors behind it- deeming the mammogran unreliable. The two forms of breast density is either FIBROCYSTIC or GLANDULAR tissue. Through ultrasound, we can check for tumors easily through fibrotic dense breasts because it stands out as a black region (or a black hole) within the white area. As shown in Image 3, a black hole could get lost, making it more difficult to image this type of dense breast. In this case, a solution is the use of elastography, which offers visual confirmation as indicated by color data. Elastography can measure tissue density (its hardness or elasticity) within the glandular breast tissue. . [see complete report)

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