Watch 'Breakthroughs for Breast Cancer' featuring Tina Knowles' inspiring message to women
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Eyewitness News' Liz Cho hosted the annual, Emmy Award-winning WABC-TV special "Breakthroughs for Breast Cancer" on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. on Channel 7 and wherever you stream us.
The special discusses groundbreaking treatments using "cold therapy" in breast cancer like never before. A new IceCure uses cryoablation to destroy tumors by freezing them, with no surgery required and little downtime. This new therapy helped an elderly patient eradicate her Stage 1 cancer without facing the dangers of anesthesia or surgery. And some cancer centers are using a "cold cap" for patients during chemotherapy, which helps patients keep more of their hair. But does it work the same for people of all ethnicities? A new study is looking at the effectiveness of the cold cap on women of color, who have more textured hair.
Plus, a new protocol at one hospital is promising "Zero opioids, zero pain." They're transforming recovery for breast surgery patients, virtually eliminating the need for postoperative narcotics. Research shows that mastectomy and reconstruction surgery is among the highest-risk surgeries associated with opioid use. By using a special technique that blocks the nerves sending pain signals, women can get through their entire recovery without ever taking a pain killer. One woman amazed her family and friends - and herself - at how easy her recovery was after a double mastectomy. She was able to heal with almost no pain at all.
Also, businesswoman and supermom Tina Knowles is normally fiercely private, but she opens up about her personal battle with breast cancer to inspire other women fighting the disease. Knowles reveals how a missed mammogram led to a later-stage diagnosis, and how her daughters Beyonce and Solange helped her get through treatment and healing. She decided to go public in her new book, "Matriarch," to give women hope for a full life after breast cancer. Watch the full interview conducted by Eyewitness News anchor Sade Baderinwa, below.
And a surprising new study could forever change the way cancer patients get help for their mental health. The special goes inside a study to see how music therapy is changing lives.
Plus, see the story of a pregnant Staten Island woman who had to go back to her doctor six times before they agreed to scan the lump she found in her breast. She shares how she, as an African-American woman, had to fight to get care...and then fought through chemo while pregnant and delivered a healthy baby girl. Now she's working with the American Cancer Society to inspire other women, and has specific advice for women when they see a doctor.
This half hour covers rapidly developing new treatments and cutting-edge advances. The program illuminates some of the most amazing breakthroughs available, showing the stories of patients whose lives are changed forever.
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