PINKBreast Cancer Awareness Month

In memory of Rishy’s mother, Mary Perdue, who lost her courageous battle

with breast cancer when she was far too young.

PNJ • 2015

Sponsored by Quint and Rishy Studer

LocaL mammogram resources • costs of treatment • facts & myths

get

Are you a breast cancer survivor and want to share your experience with someone who is currently facing a diagnosis? Help someone facing breast cancer in our community by calling 850-266-2280.

“Every day I put my feet on the ground is a good day.”

— Kathy Harris, Breast & Lung Cancer Survivor

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States, other than skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.

The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer sometime during her life is about 1 in 8. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 37. Breast cancer death rates have been going down. This is probably the result of finding the cancer earlier and better treatment. Right now there are more than 3.1 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

For more information about breast cancer, how to find it early, and how to help finish the fight against the disease, visit our breast cancer information and resources or contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 anytime, day or night.

How the American Cancer Society helps you stay well and reduce your risk of breast cancerWhen breast cancer is found early, it can be easier to treat. If you are 40 or older, get a mammogram and breast exam every year and report any breast changes to your doctor right away. Sign up for our breast cancer screening reminder and we’ll remind you to receive your screening; recommended screenings are based on our latest early detection guidelines.

You can help reduce your breast cancer risk by maintaining a healthy weight throughout life, being physically active on a regular basis (the ACS recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous

intensity activity each week), and limiting alcohol intake to less than 1 drink each day for women (2 drinks for men).

— American Cancer Society

DID you know?

you can get breast cancer even if it doesn’t run in your family?

TrueFalse

If breast cancer runs in your family, you’re sure to get it.

TrueFalse

you still need mammograms after menopause.

TrueFalse

Men can get breast cancer.

TrueFalse

Surgery and needle biopsies can cause breast cancer to spread.

TrueFalse

There’s nothing you can do to lower your breast cancer risk.

TrueFalse

1

2

3

4

5

6

1. True2. False3. True4. True5. False6. False

Answers

Signs & SymptomsTest your breast cancer knowledgeW idespread use of screening mammograms has

increased the number of breast cancers found before they cause any symptoms. Still, some breast cancers

are not found by mammogram, either because the test was not done or because, even under ideal conditions, mammograms do not find every breast cancer.

The most common symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or mass. A painless, hard mass that has irregular edges is more likely to be cancerous, but breast cancers can be tender, soft, or rounded. They can even be painful. For this reason, it is important to have any new breast mass or lump or breast change checked by a health care professional experienced in diagnosing breast diseases.

Other possible symptoms of breast cancer include:• Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no

distinct lump is felt)

• Skin irritation or dimpling

• Breast or nipple pain

• Nipple retraction (turning inward)

• Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin

• Nipple discharge (other than breast milk)

• Sometimes a breast cancer can spread to lymph nodes under the arm or around the collar bone and cause a lump or swelling there, even before the original tumor in the breast tissue is large enough to be felt. Swollen lymph nodes should also be reported to your doctor.

Although any of these symptoms can be caused by things other than breast cancer, if you have them, they should be reported to your doctor so that he or she can find the cause.

— American Cancer Society

‘‘ Source: American Cancer Society

Exercise can improve survivors’ quality of life

Can breast cancer be prevented?

Sitting too much increases cancer risk in women

Find out morEFind out much more information about breast cancer at the American Cancer Society’s website (www.cancer.org).

• Lowering breast cancer risk

• Detecting breast cancer early

• Treating Breast Cancer

• Latest news about breast cancer

• Breast cancer survivor stories

• Breast cancer videos

• Breast cancer research highlights

FaCTs & researCh7things to knowabout getting amammogram

Exercise is not only safe and possible dur-ing and after breast cancer treatment, but it also can reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. Despite these benefits, a lot of women don’t get any regular physical activity beyond their usual daily activities.

Studies of breast cancer survivors have shown that regular exercise significantly improves physical functioning and re-duces fatigue. Certain kinds of exercise appear to help breast cancer survivors at high risk for arm, breast and chest swell-

ing (lymphedema) avoid the condition. And some types of exercise can improve symptoms for those who already have it.

Physical activity has also been linked to a 24% decrease in breast cancer coming back, and a 34% decrease in breast cancer deaths. Always check with your doctor, however, before starting any exercise rou-tine, to make sure it’s safe for you. While exercise is an important part of fitness, you need time to heal after surgery and should follow the advice of your health care team.

There is no sure way to prevent breast can-cer. But there are things you can do that might lower your risk, such as changing risk factors that are under your control.

For example, body weight, physical activ-ity, and diet have all been linked to breast cancer, so these might be areas where you can take action.

If you have a strong family history of breast cancer, you can talk to your doctor about genetic testing for mutations in genes that increase the risk of breast can-cer, such as the BRCA genes. If you have such as mutation or come from a family with a mutation but haven’t been tested, you could consider surgery to lower your risk of cancer.

Researchers from the American Cancer Society have found that women who spend 6 hours or more of free time sitting per day have a 10% greater risk of getting cancer than women who spend less than 3 hours of free time sitting per day.

They were also more likely to develop certain types of cancer: multiple myeloma, ovarian cancer, and invasive breast cancer. Sitting time did not increase cancer risk for most men in the study.

Source: American Cancer Society

The BSE can help you become familiar with what’s normal for you and alert you to changes. There are different ways of doing a breast self-exam. Your nurse or doctor may teach you a different method from what is shown here, and that is OK.

With arms by your sideWith arms over your head With hands on hips,

chest muscles tightened

Use light, medium and firm pressure to feel all the breast tissue.

Use an up-and-down pattern to check all of your breast.

With your arm only

slightly raised,

feel the area

under each arm.

See your doctor or nurse if you notice any of the following:• Lump, hard knot or thickening• Change in size or shape of the breast• Dimpling or puckering of the skin• Rash, redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin• Nipple discharge that starts suddenly• New pain that does not go away

Light

Medium

Firm

3.

Use the pads of your middle fingers to feel for lumps in the right breast, using overlapping dime-sized circular motions.

Use a mirror to look for changes in:

Sit or stand, and feel each underarm area.

Size, shape, contour, dimpling, rash, redness, scaliness of nipple or breast skin

Repeat the exam on your left breast.

2. Lie down and feel for changes in each breast with the opposite hand. Start by placing a pillow under your right shoulder, and your right arm behind your head.

Examine your breasts at the same time every month,

usually about a week after the start

of your period.

Source: American Cancer Society; Graphics: American Cancer Society, Andy Marlette

1.

BREAST SELF-EXAM

Survivor Story

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer events

By AMAndA doBBSAmerican Cancer Society

At age 35, Makeda McLune had just made a big change in her life. After years in

the workforce, she decided to go back to school to complete her degree, and she enrolled full-time in college. As a new student, she wanted to take advantage of her school’s health care facilities, so she went in for a routine check-up that included a breast exam. She fully expected a clean bill of health.

“That’s when the nurse practitioner did an exam and asked me if I’d noticed a lump that was on my right breast,” says McLune. In that moment, McLune realized that she might be in for another big life change — facing cancer.

Finding the right resourcesMcLune immediately began talking to her nurse practitioner about the practical aspects of seeking out additional tests and care. “She gave me some recommendations, but before any of that I said, ‘I have no insurance. What is this going to cost?’” says McLune. When her contract job ended a few months earlier, so did her salary and her health insurance coverage, and she was also taking on school-related debt so she could get her degree. The nurse practitioner offered some suggestions, and McLune reached out to the American Cancer Society and other breast cancer organizations to see what services

were available.Eventually, McLune was diagnosed with stage II invasive carcinoma and underwent a mastectomy of her right breast. As she went through treatment, she was pleased to find programs that helped address not only her physical health, but also her quality of life. When the

American Cancer Society connected her with Look Good Feel Better, a free program that helps cancer patients manage the appearance-related side effects of treatment, she really loved the environment. “I told people, ‘This is so awesome. You have to go,’” she says. “It made you feel so positive and feminine.”

She found something else that helped her, too: being open with her family and friends about what she was going through as she faced the disease.

Connecting with others reaps rewards“For a lot of people of color, talking about being sick can be a real taboo,” says McLune, but she felt strongly that she wanted to communicate with people around her about what

was going on with her health. She began posting on social media with updates about her cancer journey. “Opening my life up to others allowed me to face it head on,” she says of her efforts. “I didn’t stop pursuing my education, my desire to volunteer, and my political activism — I continued to push forward.”

As she shared her story, she was amazed by the feedback she got. “The response was overwhelmingly positive,” she says, and the effects of sharing what she was going through — and the positive responses she received — have stayed with her. “Doing ‘something’ redirected how I got through my business and personal life. I go into things being as open and as transparent as possible,” she says. “Now, I ask myself, ‘Did you positively impact other people? Did you do something positive for someone else?’”

Today, McLune takes one tamoxifen pill a day to help reduce her chances for recurrence, and she actively seeks out opportunities to tell her story. She has been a guest speaker at multiple American Cancer Society Relay For Life events — which raise money to invest in cancer research and to provide information and services to cancer patients and caregivers. She firmly believes that talking about what she went through is a powerful way to make a difference, not just in her own life, but in the lives of others. “Maybe if I share my story one more time,” says McLune, “I’m helping somebody who needs it.”

Empowering herself, others

“opening my life up to others

allowed me to face it head on.”

Makeda McLune, Breast & Lung

Cancer Survivor

‘‘Making Strides of PensacolaWhen: Saturday, oct. 31

Time: 8 a.m.

Where: Cordova Mall, 5100 N. Ninth Ave., Pensacola

Making Strides of South AlabamaWhen: Saturday, oct. 31

Time: 8 a.m.

Where: Bienville Square, 150 Dauphin St., Mobile, AL

Making Strides of Panama CityWhen: Saturday, oct. 31

Time: 8 a.m.

Where: Aaron Bessant Park, 500 W. Park Drive, Panama City Beach

When you participate in a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, you are sharing your passion and raising funds to help save more lives from breast cancer. there’s still time to sign up for a Making Strides walk near you, and make a difference with every step you take. Get more information at www.cancer.org.

From Pensacola News Journal Staff Reports One in eight American women will develop breast

cancer sometime in her lifetime, and the most important thing women can do is be vigilant by per-forming regular self-exams and undergoing regular clinical exams and mammograms, doctors say.

Finding cancer early does not always reduce a woman’s chance of dying from breast cancer. But early detection and early treatment leads to the greatest possibility of success.

A key component in early detection is having an annual mammograms beginning at age 40. A mam-mogram is a low-dose X-ray of the breast that’s used to detect and evaluate breast changes. It can detect breast masses years before they can be felt, and it may reveal other critical changes in the breast tissue.

Women with certain breast cancer risk factors should begin clinical screenings and mammo-grams earlier. For example, women who have re-ceived thoracic radiation between ages 10 and 30 have a significantly increased risk of breast cancer.

But getting a mammogram isn’t always easy. Many women have to overcome obstacles that can include cost, accessibility, finding the time, getting a doctor’s referral and the fear of the exam itself.

Here, we provide information on some of the local breast services that are offered, from free to reduced-price exams to mobile units that come to your area.

BAPTIST HEALTH CAREFREE SCREENINGS: Baptist Hospital provides

“Free Screening Mammos” for uninsured women within the community during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This program is funded by community donations and fundraisers. To qualify for a free mammogram, patients must:

• Have a primary care physician.

• Be over age 35.• Not have had a

mammogram within the past 12 months.

• Have had at least five years of cancer-free screenings. (No diagnostic screening will be done in this program.)

• Not currently experiencing any breast problems.• Be uninsured — self-pay.• Meet or be at least 200 percent above Federal

Poverty Guidelines. (Patients must have com-pleted Financial Assistance Application, along with providing proof of income, proof of Food Stamps eligibility, prior year tax returns and two most recent bank statements, plus any other required documentation to prove financial hardship.)

Upon meeting this criteria and as long as Baptist has spaces available (due to available funding), patient would qualify for a Free Screening Mammo. For information, 850-434-4080.

REFERRALS: The hospital requires patients to have seen their physician within the last two years. For a screening mammogram, patients don’t need a referral. But patients having any kind of breast problem need an order from their physician.

DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY — 3D BREAST IMAGING: In 2011, Baptist was the first hospital in Florida to gain FDA approval to perform digital breast tomosynthesis, or 3D digital mammography, which is available at these Baptist Health Care locations:

• Baptist Hospital• Gulf Breeze Hospital• Baptist Medical Park — Nine MileDIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY: Baptist offers the

most advanced equipment available for digital mammography, Hologic Selenia Dimensions, at these locations:

• Baptist Hospital• Gulf Breeze Hospital

• Baptist Medical Park — Nine Mile• Baptist Medical Park — Navarre

DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY E-REMINDERS: For women over

age 40, Baptist Health Care offers Mammography e-Reminders to help them remember their appointments.

To schedule a mammogram, 850-469-7500.Details: www.ebaptist

healthcare.org.

Options abound in local mammographyExtended hours, assistance programs help meet patient needs

Q: What is a mobile mammography unit?

A: It’s is a customized vehicle that goes to various locations

to offer mammograms. The purpose is to make

screenings convenient and to increase community access to

mammograms.

FREE MAMMOGRAMS:Mammograms are usually covered at 100 percent by most insurance carriers. If a patient does not have insurance, there are several programs, such as those through the Escambia County Health Department to help with free or reduced-fee services to qualifying patients. Uninsured patients ages 50 to 64 are eligible.Details: 850-490-5910 or 850-595-6650. OTHER MAMMOGRAM RESOURCES:American Breast Cancer Foundation’s Key to Life Breast Cancer Assistance ProgramEligibility: Need doctor’s referral and will be mailed an application. No age limit. Need proof of residency and must not make more than 300 percent above the poverty level.Details: 844-219-2223.

Santa Rosa County Health Department’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Program Eligibility: Ages 50 to 64, must make no more than $20,800 in a one-person family, $28,000 in a two-person family or $35,000 in a three-person family. Must make an appoint-ment, have a Pap test and exam completed and then will be referred for a mammogram. Patient must bring a driver’s license.Details: 983-5200, ext. 139.

Mobile Mammography Van, West Florida Hospital affiliateEligibility: 35 and up. Travels through Pensacola. Most insurance accepted.Details: 888-894-2113, ext. 1.

Angel Williamson Imaging CenterOffers 30 percent discounts on all medical services to the uninsured.Details: 476-1161 or www.awimaging.com.

Baptist Hospital’s HealthSourceEligibility: Call for an appointment. Must be 35 and complete a short phone interview.Details: 434-4080.

MAMMOGRAM RESOURCES

MaMMograM rEsourcEsSACRED HEART HEALTH SYSTEM

FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MAMMOGRAMS: routine screening mammograms are covered by most major insurance plans. The ann L. Baroco center for Breast Health also provides a limited number of free and reduced-price mammograms to the uninsured throughout the year through the ann Baroco cares program.

LOCATIONS: sacred Heart Health system has two locations: sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola and sacred Heart Medical Park in Pace.

REFERRAL: No referral is needed for a routine annual screening mammogram. However, you do need to have a primary care physician for the hospital to send your results to.

To schedule a mammogram, 850-416-8078. Details: www.sacred-heart.org.

WEST FLORIDA HOSPITALBREAST HEALTH SERVICES OFFERED: West Florida

Hospital was the area’s first hospital to be designated as a Breast Imaging center of Excellence and is fully accredited by the american college of radiology. It offers a full range of breast health services. West Florida has an all-female staff of registered and certi-fied mammography technologists. In addition, two board-certified radiologists read all mammograms.

West Florida is certified as a Medicare Mammography screening facility. Breast health services include digital mammography, computer-aided detection (caD), mobile mammography, breast ultrasound, breast MrIs, bone densitometry, stereotactic guided biopsy, ultrasound guided biopsy and MrI-guided biopsy.

MOBILE MAMMOGRAMS: West Florida Hospital provides mobile mammography services. The mobile unit is a customized 37-foot coach con-taining dedicated digital mammography equipment that is FDa-certified and accredited by the american college of radiology. The unit travels throughout Northwest Florida and southwest alabama.

REFERRALS: Patients do not need an order from their physician to have a screening mammogram, but they must designate a physician to receive the mammogram results. West Florida Hospital offers a discounted rate for mammograms for self-pay patients (uninsured).

To schedule a mammogram, call West Florida Mammography services at 494-3497 or toll-free 888-894-2113.

Details: http://westfloridahospital.com.

WOODLANDS MEDICAL SPECIALISTSFACILITY: Woodlands Medical specialists’ breast

health facilities were designed to provide an

alternative to the standard experience for breast care. Mammograms and breast biopsies can be stressful, and this facility was designed to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Its breast health team focuses exclusively on the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer.

BREAST-IMAGING SERVICES: Woodlands Breast Health’s gE Digital Mammography system provides physicians with a clear and precise all-digital image rather than just X-ray films. This equipment allows for a large field of view to accommodate the breast size of most women. Woodlands’ imaging services for breast health include digital mammography, breast ultrasound, breast MrI, MrI-guided breast biopsy, ultrasound guided biopsy and stereotactic breast biopsy.

REDUCED-PRICE MAMMOGRAMS: Insurance will cover a screening mammogram for women 40 and older. But if insurance does not, Woodlands provides screening mammograms for $99.

REFERRALS: referrals are not needed for a mammogram at Woodlands. However, any physician in the area can refer a patient to Woodlands. Wood-lands handles all of the necessary referral paperwork and can transfer records upon the patient’s request. It can accept walk-in appointments and is now open on until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays to accommodate women who cannot schedule daytime appointments.

DIAGNOSIS: If a mammogram patient is diagnosed with breast cancer, the Woodlands oncology team is located on-site and can be scheduled to see the patient during the follow-up visit. Its team of board-certified oncologists will help patients understand their diagnosis, develop an individualized treatment plan and coordinate all aspects of treatment and surveillance. The oncology team works collaboratively with other specialists to help expedite the healing process.

To schedule a mammogram, 850-696-4000.Details: www.woodlandsmed.com.

NAVAL HOSPITAL PENSACOLA

BREAST HEALTH SERVICES: The Naval Hospital has a breast cancer coordinator available to its patients. The Naval Hospital was the first hospital in the Pensacola area to provide this service and the first to have a breast patient

navigator certified by the National consortium of Breast centers on staff. The breast cancer coordinator guides patients through the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer or symptoms associated with breast cancer. The coordinator also works with the patient and family to deal with emotional stress associated with breast cancer.

PATIENT QUALIFICATIONS: all TrIcarE Prime beneficiaries enrolled at Pensacola Naval Hospital are eligible to receive a mammogram there.

If you are enrolled, you can call your Medical Home Port Team or central appointments at 505-6719 to schedule a mammogram. Mammograms can be scheduled to coincide with other appointments in order to eliminate additional visits.

SANTA ROSA MEDICAL CENTERBREAST HEALTH SERVICES: The Women’s

Place at santa rosa Medical center offers all-digital mammography, ultrasound, stereotactic breast biopsy and bone densitometry in a spa-like environment. It is the only center in santa rosa county with a certified breast health navigator who can provide education and guidance to women facing tough medical care decisions. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

QUALIFIED PATIENTS: The medical center does see uninsured patients, and some of those are self-pay.

REDUCED-PRICE CARE: For those who cannot afford mammograms, the medical center works to see if they are eligible for the Florida Breast cancer Program. Inquire with the office for pricing and eligibility for discounts. The payment is typically due at the time of care, but if someone is unable to pay the full amount, the clinic is able to work with the patient to establish a payment plan. This applies not only to self-pay patients, but also to those who have not met deductibles or have high co-pays.

To schedule a mammogram, 850-626-5129.

Treatment costs hard to nail downBy Peggy J. NooNaN

USA Today ASBURY PARK, N.J. — The cost to treat breast

cancer is anyone’s guess, but patients who are covered by insurance have lower bills than those who aren’t, researchers found.

Uninsured cancer patients pay up to twice as much for doctors’ visits and 43 times as much for chemotherapy drugs compared with what Medicare and private insurance pays, a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill showed.

“This is unreasonable,” said Stacie Dusetzina, an assistant professor in the Eshelman School of Pharmacy and the Gillings School of Global Public Health. “There needs to be more transparency and less variability in health care pricing.”

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, raising money for a disease that affects about one in 12 women. And researchers have made progress; the five-year survival rate has climbed from 75% in 1975 to close to 90%, government data shows.

But how much does it cost to treat breast cancer? No one seems to know.

The uncertainty is getting more attention since the Affordable Care Act, also called

“Obamacare,” was passed in 2010. It ensured that mammograms would be covered by health insurance plans for free. But it also has led to insurance policies that have higher out-of-pocket costs — co-payments and deductibles — for consumers.

How do you know what treatment costs?“You don’t,” said Jessica Morton, director of mission

for Susan G. Komen Central and South Jersey, an advocacy group. “We try to pin down numbers like average cost, but it’s super hard.”

Kimberly Callis, 42, of Lacey was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2013. She has an insurance policy through Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield that has picked up most of the bill for her treatment.

But each time she walks into her oncologist’s office, she has a $50 co-payment. After a few office visits a month, it adds up.

The financial strain is more acute. She and her husband own Stage Drop, which provides portable stages for events. But she hasn’t been able to work as much since her diagnosis.

“It’s a lot of co-pays,” Callis said. “It’s definitely had a financial impact.”

Pinning down the cost is a difficult endeavor. The

average cost of care for breast cancer in women age 65 and older is $23,078 for initial treatment and $2,207 for continuing treatment, making it one of the less-expensive cancers to treat, according to data from the National Cancer Institute.

Breast cancer is diagnosed with many cell types and stages, said Dr. Denise Johnson Miller, medical director of the Breast Surgery program at Meridian Health, a New Jersey-based company that operates six hospitals in Monmouth and Ocean counties. There are women diagnosed

with early stage disease and some who are diagnosed late. Most women respond well to treatment, but there are still women who don’t.

“Cost of treatment varies,” Miller said. “You may have breast-conserving surgery, six, seven weeks of radiation and hormonal therapy. However, if you have a complete mastectomy, breast reconstruction, chemotherapy, a year-plus of (cancer drug)

Herceptin (combined with) Perjeta, the treatment costs will be greater. All women definitely need insurance.”

The Affordable Care Act requires virtually all Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty. Even so, 10.9% of New Jerseyans under age 65 weren’t covered in 2014, according to U.S. Census data.

Without the negotiating power that private insurance or Medicare has, they face much higher costs if they are diagnosed with cancer, North Carolina researchers found.

For example, they paid $6,711 for an infusion of the colorectal cancer drug oxaliplatin.

Medicare paid $3,090 and private health plans paid $3,616 for the same drug, according to the study.

Breast cancer

• One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, and every 13 minutes, a woman in the United states dies from the disease.

• except for skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common among american women — one of the leading causes of death, according to the american cancer society.

• the risk increases with age, and having a first-degree relative also increases a woman’s chance of being diagnosed.

• But less than 15 percent of women with breast cancer have a family history. african-american women have a higher rate of death from breast cancer than any other race.

• the earlier breast cancer is detected, the more likely it can effectively be treated. at stages 0 and 1, cancer cells are confined to a limited area. Stage 2 is still fairly early, but at that point, the cancer has begun to grow or spread. cancer at stage 3 is considered advanced, when there is evidence of further spreading to surrounding tissues. By the time cancer reaches stage 4, it has spread beyond the breast to other areas of the body.

• By age 20, women should perform monthly self-exams to check for abnormalities in their breasts. clinical breast exams should occur every three years until age 40. at that point, women should be par-ticipating in annual mammograms. Depending on family history and genetic tendency, some should be screened with MrI in addition to mammograms.

~ USA Today

Facts & myths about breast cancer

Tips to lower medicine costs• Ask your doctor about generic medicines.

• Ask your doctor for samples of medicines you’re prescribed.

• Ask for medications in the form of pills, which tend to cost less.

• Shop around to pharmacies. Larger stores may have lower prices.

• Don’t order medicine from online pharmacies. Prices may be lower, but the pharmacies may not be licensed.

• Call drugmakers to see if you qualify for financial assistance programs.

source: Breastcancer.org