By MARGIE TRAX PAGE - Staff Writer - mtrax@starbeacon.com
GENEVA — The magenta streaks in Traci Rogan’s blonde hair stood out in a crowd, even a crowd of people wearing pink.
Rogan and hundreds of other walkers participated in the Walk for the Cure at Geneva High School Sunday.
Men, women, children, mothers, daughters, aunts and sisters looked into the sun, their cries of joy, triumph, struggle and loss whooshed off with the bobbling pink and white balloons, their messages of hope tied to each string.
“This year 180,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are found in women,” University Hospitals lead mammographer Amy Reed said, “This year 68,000 cases of non-invasive cancer were found. Breast cancer is nearly 100 percent curable with early detection.”
Rogan said her heart catches at the walk every year when she sees those balloons float toward the sky.
“I walk for Jerri Mazas, my aunt who died of breast cancer. My daughters and I come out and walk and help out and get into the spirit of spreading awareness and hope,” she said.
Rogan of Austinburg Township walked with daughters Molly, 9, and Claire 11.
UH-Geneva Medical Center’s Dr. Amitabh Goel said the hope and prayers of millions of women have turned the tide on breast cancer.
“There has been a huge increase in awareness, a huge increase in education and early detection,” Goel said. “Hope has saved lives this way.”
Goel said one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime and early detection gives the very best possible chance for survival.
“Breast cancer is the third most common cancer in women, but some women think they are either too young or too old to get breast cancer,” Goel said. “Women should not get complacent. The time they stop thinking about breast cancer is exactly the time when something will happen. I have 75-year-old women who come to me in tears because they though they were too old for breast cancer.”
UH-Geneva Medical Center offers free mammograms to Ashtabula County residents through the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The mammogram includes an exam and follow up session. Goel said the free mammogram program has saved at least one life so far.
