How do we change the narrative for, especially Black women to lower that mortality rate?
I think one thing that I would definitely suggest to African American women do is since we try to take care of everyone else, we need to start focusing on ourselves, you cannot give from an empty cup. And that’s in all things and in all ways, not just breast cancer. Please take off the Superwoman cape, you don’t have to be superwoman. But regarding breast health, I would say really get to know your breasts, especially for younger women, knowing your breasts in different parts of your cycle, because your breasts and feelings of your breasts will change. So if you start to know your breasts and do a breast exam in the shower, that’ll help you know if something is different. So you can bring that to the attention of your physician. And if they blow you off, keep advocating for yourself. Another thing that we all need to do is know our family history, write down the family history. You need to know because if you see that there’s a pattern of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, stomach cancer — so we can be aggressive in what we do before you even develop cancer.
