About The Event

About 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In women under 45, breast cancer is more common in Black women than white women. Overall, Black women are more likely to die of breast cancer.

While a mammogram can help you to detect cancer before you can feel a lump, 40 percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, performing self-exams AND getting routine screenings can ensure that breast cancer is detected early and may result in better treatment options and outcomes.

Our Survivors

Cynthia Johnson

2 Year Survivor

Cynthia was diagnosed with Stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in 2018 one year before was old enough to begin regular mammograms. Her lump was found by accident and could easily be felt by lightly touching her breast. Cynthia underwent a lumpectomy, 4 rounds of chemo and 22 rounds of radiation, She is now undergoing monthly Zolodex injections and daily Anastrazole which she will take for the next 5-10 years to prevent recurrence.

Cynthia feels that hormone therapy is by far the hardest part of her journey as there is no end in sight to the medical menopause, body pain and countless side effects. Cynthia shares her breast cancer journey publicly on social media to ensure that women can have an honest window into a breast cancer journey.

Cynthia is one half of the team and Creative Director behind Our Like Vibes, a certified global educator with the Know Your Lemons Foundation, a member of Alpha Kappa Sorority, Inc. and a proud Bajan.

Nina L. Austin

3 Time Cancer Warrior

Nina is a 2 time breast cancer and recent uterine cancer survivor as well as a 3rd generation survivor as both her mother and grandmother were diagnosed prior to her. Nina was initially diagnosed in 2008 at the age 35 with stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma, after chemotherapy, lumpectomy and oophorectomy and radiation, Nina took Tamoxifen for 5 yrs and was then changed to Arimidex which she took until she chose to have a prophylactic double mastectomy in 2014. After the mastectomy she encouraged her doctor to take her off Arimidex. Then in 2015 , Nina was diagnosed with stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma in the left axillary (underarm) where a small “tail” of breast tissue was left from mastectomy. Again, she received chemotherapy, surgery an an axillary reduction with plastic surgery revision (the 1st doctor didn’t do a good job) and radiation. In 2020 Nina was diagnosed with uterine cancer and just completed treatment at the end of the September.

Nina is originally from Mississippi and she is a Speech and Language Pathologist.

GiaMarie Johnson

Newly Diagnosed

GiaMarie is a Breast Cancer survivor. Diagnosed with Stage Zero Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Dec 2019, GiaMarie survived a lumpectomy/partial mastectomy and 33 rounds of radiation. GiaMarie will have to take Tamoxifen indefinitely to block the cancer from returning. Gia was diagnosed just under two years after her little sister Cynthia.

GiaMarie continues her fitness lifestyle with clean eating her 5 mile runs. Once a Chef, she is now embarking upon a new venture with handmade soaps and Artisan Bath and Body Products.

Quiana Wright

Survivor

Keley Johnson

High Risk Warrior

Keley has not been diagnosed with breast but after her two sisters Cynthia and GiaMarie were diagnosed, the possibility of breast cancer became a priority. Despite genetic testing showing no genes that should lead to breast cancer, familal diagnosis substantially increases her risk.

Keley is on a strict screening regimen of alternating mammograms and breast MRIs every 6 months.

Keley is one half of the team behind Our Like Vibes, a poet with a poetry EP entitled Dedicated to the Black Man and author and publisher of the self help guided journals Breaking Bonds and Reclaiming Our Sexuality for her brand Practical Magick.

Our Health Professionals

Education and information about breast cancer is very important, but we wanted to be sure that we had health professionals to give you proper medical information. Each breast cancer journey is different as is every treatment plan, our health professionals will be able to provide information but please remember that you must always check with your doctor before starting or stopping any treatment.

Essence D. Cole, MSN, FNP-C, AOCNP

Oncology NP

Best stated by Thomas Carlyle, “(S)he who has health, has hope; and (s)he who has hope, has everything.” My name is Essence Cole. I have been a Registered Nurse since 2011 and early on I discovered my love for the oncology patient population. In 2014, I worked on a Hematology, Oncology, and bone marrow transplant unit, which forever changed my life. I completed my Master of Science in nursing degree in 2015 and accepted my first role as a Breast Medical Oncology Nurse Practitioner in 2017. I currently provide care as an Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner in the Radiation Oncology department where my focus is breast and gynecological patients.

Rodney Hunter, PharmD, BCPS

Oncology Pharmacist

Dr. Rodney J. Hunter is an Clinical Assistant Professor at Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Houston, Texas USA. He is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Breast Medical Oncology at the University of Texas Health Memorial Hermann Cancer Center. He is the Program director of the TSU Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention Center funded by Susan G. Komen. He is also an Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Oncology at the University of Texas Health McGovern Medical School in Houston, TX.

BREAST EDUCATION

Signs & Symptoms

For breast cancer symptoms, there is more than just a lump! Knowing the 12 symptoms of breast cancer can help you be more confident to report a persistent breast change that doesn’t come and go with your menstrual cycle.

Understand the difference between normal lumps and suspicious ones by knowing what you are feeling underneath the surface.

Self- Exams

Breast self-exam, or regularly examining your breasts on your own, can be an important way to find a breast cancer early, when it’s more likely to be treated successfully.

While no single test can detect all breast cancers early, Breastcancer.org believes that performing breast self-exam in combination with other screening methods can increase the odds of early detection.

Screenings

A mammogram is an X-ray picture of the breast. Doctors use a mammogram to look for early signs of breast cancer. Regular mammograms are the best tests doctors have to find breast cancer early, sometimes up to three years before it can be felt.

An abnormal mammogram does not always mean that there is cancer. But you will need to have additional tests, or exams before the doctor can tell for sure.

Know Your Lemons makes information beautiful and accessible to a wide and diverse audience. They overcome the barriers of taboo, fear and literacy that has held breast cancer ‘awareness’ back for decades. Know Your Lemons is friendly, accessible, and inclusive.

ABOUT KNOW YOUR LEMONS

The mission of the Know Your Lemons Foundation is to help women find breast cancer as early as possible. Know Your Lemons (KYL) does this through well-designed education.

Since 2017, KYL has reached nearly 1 billion people online because the #knowyourlemons campaign is something people love to look at and share. KYL has helped women discover that the change on their breast was a potential symptom and helped save their life with that powerful knowledge.

The Know Your Lemon vision is a world where there are fewer deaths from breast cancer. This means they work hard on finding ways to educate in the best way possible to people of different needs. The KYL app helps people on a 1-to-1 scale through a personalized education and navigation experience to support early detection. The KYL campaign is available in 22 languages and counting and our new Global Educator Program trains volunteers on how to be breast health educators in their communities for those who aren’t online or using the app.



Our Like Vibes Virtual Breast Cancer Education Session

Sunday, October 25

Streaming Live on FB

5:00PM CST/ 3:00PM PST