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There’s No Place Like Hope! That’s the theme for this year’s annual Paint the Town Pink breast cancer awareness event returning to LaGrange’s Lafayette Square on Saturday, September 24, 10 am- 12 pm.

Held for the past 16 years, Paint the Town Pink kicks off October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Sponsored by Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, Breast Friends for Life and West Central Georgia Cancer Coalition, it serves to not only raise awareness for breast cancer, but also encourage early detection. Paint the Town Pink is a special time of celebrating breast cancer survivors and promoting women’s health and wellness.

The event also provides an opportunity to raise money for Breast Friends for Life to continue its mission to assist anyone
throughout their treatment and to offer them comfort and support during a difficult time. The Square will be beautifully decorated in pink, and Wellstar staff, members of the Breast Friends for Life local support group and others will be there to cheer on cancer survivors. During the event, resources will be available regarding women’s health, and importantly, information for women who may need a free breast exam.

When performed at regular intervals, mammograms help women in our community find breast cancer before symptoms appear so they can start treatment earlier. Here in West Georgia, the Wellstar imaging team uses the most advanced technology to screen and diagnose breast cancer, including: 3D tomosynthesis mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and minimally-invasive image-guided biopsies.

Treatment for breast cancer typically requires multiple types of therapy such as surgery, radiation oncology and some form of systemic therapy, such as targeted therapy, endocrine treatment, immunotherapy or chemotherapy. Treatment plans should be individualized for each patient’s unique diagnosis.

At Wellstar West Georgia’s Enoch Callaway Cancer Center, a multidisciplinary approach is the hallmark of the cancer program. In a weekly cancer conference, medical oncologists, cancer surgeons, radiation oncologists, pathologists and diagnostic radiologists meet together with support staff including nurse navigators, pharmacists and social workers to review and discuss each patient’s unique medical condition, make a diagnosis and design the best treatment plan. In addition, Wellstar cancer experts have a direct connection to Mayo Clinic specialists through membership in the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

“We’re fortunate to have state-of-the-art technology such as TrueBeam and Linear Accelerator radiotherapy, and stereotactic radiosurgery available for breast cancer patients right here in LaGrange,” says Dr. Robert Taylor, radiation oncologist at Wellstar’s Enoch Callaway Cancer Center. “This modern technology allows us to specialize and individualize a patient’s care, while treating the cancer and sparing surrounding healthy tissue. Perhaps as important as these advanced technologies is our focus on treating the whole patient and always delivering personalized, compassionate care.”

Breast cancer survivor Patricia Shuman, who received treatment at Enoch Callaway Cancer Center, says “I was dealt the hand of being told I had to have a diagnostic mammogram because something didn’t look right. That resulted in an unpleasant biopsy, a scary cancer diagnosis, surgery with a somewhat uncomfortable recovery, followed by the 2 prescription of a cancer drug and 21 radiation treatments. Not all were pleasant. But compared to others, I have undergone nothing. And those at our Cancer Center have done everything! The bell should be rung in their honor. Not for us surviving but as thanks to them for helping us live. They are an amazing team of upbeat, caring, passionate, supportive caregivers, and I will forever be in their debt.”

For more information on Paint the Town Pink, call 706-812-2191. And to learn more about Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, go to wellstar.org/westga.