An event for hope, strength and courage
LANCASTER — October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to mark that campaign, Antelope Valley Hospital and Antelope Valley Outpatient Imagining Center held a special event dedicated to Hope, Strength and Courage.
The event, held Oct. 20, at the AVOIC, provided guests with educational information about breast cancer and promoted cancer screening.
To that end, discounted mammograms were available and 10 women took advantage of the screening opportunity during the event, AVH spokeswoman Cynthia Frausto said.
More than 100 people attended the event, where they heard from breast cancer survivors about their own diagnosis, treatment and survival; could ask physicians questions one-on-one, learn “office yoga” — techniques for relaxation and wellness that may be done while seated and enjoyed chair massages, raffles and fellowship.
“It was very well-attended, very successful,” Frausto said.
This is the second year for the event; the first was in 2019 and then delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hope is to make it an annual event. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women. However, by finding breast cancer early, women can reduce the risk of death by 30% or more. Mammograms are the gold standard in breast screenings and are recommended to be performed annually.
“It’s important that we (AVH) do our part to help reduce the statistics and increase the awareness of breast cancer prevention,” Antelope Valley Hospital CEO Edward Mirzabegian said. “With our community cancer partners, we stand committed to the cause.”
Joining the hospital and imaging center in hosting the event were City of Hope, Kaiser Permanente, the American Cancer Society, High Desert Medical Group, Antelope Valley Cancer Center, Antelope Valley Partners for Health, and the Hematology Oncology Specialists.