Watch it on abc7NY.com: BREAST CANCER: NEW VISION & NEW HOPE

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

NEW YORK -- On Sunday, October 13th, WABC-TV aired a Special entitled "BREAST CANCER: NEW VISION & NEW HOPE".. Hosted by Eyewitness News Anchor, Liz Cho, the special brings you new FDA rules and new visual tools that give breast cancer patients hope. This year marks WABC's twenty fifth year of working with the American Cancer Society.

The Special features a game changer, in that the FDA has for the first time now approved the use of Immunotherapy in breast cancer. Given in combination with chemotherapy to patients newly diagnosed with metastatic triple negative breast cancer it is having amazing results. The FDA is also, for the first time in 20 years, proposing a change to their regulations on Mammography. If it passes, all mammogram providers will be required to inform women if they have dense breasts. A young survivor speaks to her resulting advocacy for surveillance to include both Mammograms and Sonograms.

We feature a transgender woman who bravely speaks out on textured implants that caused her cancer and the need for surveillance in her community which is generally suffering from loss of access to health care. New ways of hiding and forgetting the scars of surgery are also explored. A young patient who chose double mastectomies talks about what it means to survivors when they look in a mirror and see the "self" they recognize, prior to their diagnosis and treatment.

Breast cancer affects hundreds of thousands of women each year. Find out more about the latest research, new reasons for hope, and the challenges of fighting the disease.

Researchers are working on revolutionary new ways for optical tools to provide visual access to cancer that has never been seen before. It will help Doctors to avoid repeated surgeries that are way too common because they're needed to achieve the goal of clean margins. Visual tools are also being explored to see cancer on the molecular level, way before one would spot it on an MRI or Mammogram. All this is in a quest to improve treatment options and the excitement in the scientific & clinical community is palpable.

A brave, transgender fashionista spreads the word on breast cancer and textured implants.

The special also addresses the sad reality of disparities in our communities that lead to different outcomes based on one's race, genetics, income and access to care. Making this a top priority would greatly enhance our mortality statistics when it comes to African American women and breast cancer.

New tool aims to reduce the need for follow-up surgery.

Experts featured include doctors and researchers from NewYork-Presbyterian & Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, Mount Sinai Health System, Atlantic Health System at Overlook Medical Center, Montefiore Health System, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NYU School of Medicine & Murray Hill Radiology.

Breast cancer affects hundreds of thousands of women each year. Find out more about the latest research, new reasons for hope, and the challenges of fighting the disease.

This annual special is part of WABC-TV's continuing commitment to the American Cancer Society's Making Strides against Breast Cancer campaign and we strongly urge our viewers to join them in making a difference. Previous Specials in the series have won seven Emmy Awards & three National Gracie Allen Awards. Information on resources can be found at ABC7NY.com/BreastCancer.

RESOURCES SEEN ON OUR HALF HOUR SPECIAL:

American Cancer Society

Cancer.org

800-227-2345

For Info on walks & to donate:

MakingStridesWalk.org

NewYork-Presbyterian

nyp.org/cancer

NewYork-Presbyterian David H. Koch Center

Breast Imaging: 212-746-6000

Breast Center: 646-962-2330

NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia Univ. Irving Medical Center