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Sisters United puts focus on education, prevention

$\uFEFFBreast cancer survivors share their stories with each other during a meeting of the cancer education group Sisters United for Prevention, Monday, Oct. 5. Standing are Debbie Woods and Patty Young; sitting (from left) are survivors Hattie Lawson, Anna Blackwell, Dolores Berrien, Cindy Griffin, Julia Harris and Lillian Swain. Staff photo by Bill Lackey$

Bill Lackey \uFEFFBreast cancer survivors share their stories with each other during a meeting of the cancer education group Sisters United for Prevention, Monday, Oct. 5. Standing are Debbie Woods and Patty Young; sitting (from left) are survivors Hattie Lawson, Anna Blackwell, Dolores Berrien, Cindy Griffin, Julia Harris and Lillian Swain. Staff photo by Bill Lackey

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By Bridgette Outten, Staff Writer Updated 6:36 AM Tuesday, October 13, 2009

In the room where they meet, the longest-running survivor has been free of breast cancer for 60 years.

The shortest amount of time: six months.

And counting.

But when Sisters United for Prevention — a group largely populated by black women — get together, the last thing they want to do is dwell on their hardships or swap cancer horror stories.

Instead of the life after cancer tales, the group would like to talk about life before cancer even starts.

Since its inception five years ago, the organization’s focus has been on education and prevention, especially for minorities.

The 2009-2010 American Cancer Society report shows that even though white women have higher incidents of cancer, black women are more likely to die from it. The mortality rate for black women diagnosed with breast cancer is 20 percent higher, on average, nationwide.

As a volunteer for cancer-related programs locally on and off for 25 years, Patty Young was not only aware of the statistics, but she saw the trends.

Of the programs Young attended through the years, she “very seldom saw black women there,” she said.

Young, who is not a cancer survivor, thought it was important enough to approach the American Cancer Society about a group geared specifically to target black women and Sisters United was born.

In her 40-year career as a hairdresser, Young had plenty of clients whose hair she would style after chemotherapy and radiation ravaged their bodies.

Sisters United touts early detection and testing through self-exams, doctor visits and regularly scheduled mammograms. They also promote awareness for all types of cancers and for the past three years have held a fashion show illustrating that life after cancer can look good.

Though they don’t dwell on the cancer stories from their members, they will listen.

When the survivor is ready to share it.

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