Happy 80th Birthday Joan Rivers
June 24th, 2013
Happy 80th Birthday to #Joan Rivers, a true trailblazer for publicly embracing cosmetic surgery. Joan’s career has spanned decades and is perhaps best known for her sharp wit and snarky comments on the Red Carpet, covering star-studded arrivals to events like the Emmy’s and the Academy Awards. The comedian and host of E!’s Fashion Police candidly rebuffs the criticism of her many procedures, “I wish I had a twin, so I could know what I’d look like without plastic surgery!â€
While Miss Rivers was a pioneer for admitting to having had cosmetic surgery and poking fun of herself in doing so, plastic surgery is more common now among older women than ever before. This may be attributed to factors such as availability of accredited outpatient facilities nationwide, developments in anesthesia, and greater public acceptance of considering elective cosmetic surgery. Since better knowledge of nutrition and fitness has helped to increase our longevity, I find that my patients are saying, “why not stay looking your best at any age?”
Angelina Jolie Brings Attention to BRCA Gene
May 16th, 2013
According to the American Cancer Society, about 232,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women this year. Angelina Jolie’s recent disclosure about having a double mastectomy, followed by reconstruction has brought the BRCA gene mutation for increased risk for breast cancer to the forefront. Dr. Kristi Funk of the Pink Lotus Breast Center in Beverly Hills, writes a blog post on her website describing step-by-step details of Angelina Jolie’s BRCA diagnosis, surgeries and recuperation.
The Pink Lotus Breast Center is a comprehensive and integrative breast center exclusively dedicated to the prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. It is similar to the Virginia Piper Breast Center at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, which also offers this integrated approach to breast cancer.
I applaud Jolie for her courage to come forth and share her story. While it is a most difficult decision for women to encounter, she is not alone in being faced with such a decision. Genetic testing is only one aspect of assessing risk for breast cancer. I find that patients benefit greatly from the medical care model using a collaborative approach to breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment. Patients often report that supportive infrastructure is an important element for maintaining a positive attitude during this journey and may often be instrumental for healing and recovery. Self-exam and mammograms remain important tools for early detection. More information is available here from the American Cancer Society.
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