Merced surgeon to present breast health seminar Tuesday

Dr. Dortha Chu, a breast surgeon in Merced, will host a breast health seminar Tuesday to try to help women better understand the importance of self-examination and early screenings.

The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Mercy Medical Pavilion as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Chu, who has focused the past few years on providing comprehensive breast care in the Central Valley, said the goal is to take the fear out of exams and to make women comfortable and familiar with their own bodies.

During the seminar, titled “Breast Health 101: All About Lumps,” she plans on providing information on breast screenings, detecting lumps in the breasts, different types of lumps and potential treatment for lumps.

“I do this in my office every day, but it’s only one patient at a time. … (The seminar) is a way to address a larger group and get more women educated on breast health,” Chu said. “By the time they leave, I would hope they have a pretty good idea of what’s going on with their breasts.”

According to the American Cancer Society, numerous studies have shown that mammograms and breast exams help reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer.

The ACS Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines recommends yearly mammograms beginning at age 40 and breast exams about every three years for women in their 20s and 30s.

Chu said the idea of the free community presentation came from seeing how many of her patients knew very little about breast care and screenings.

“This is information that has been around for years, but I would ask myself, ‘Why don’t people know about it?’ And it’s because there isn’t much education out there and because many doctors don’t how to explain it in simple terms.”

Chu said that besides questions regarding warning signs and symptoms, she also hears concerns and confusion when it comes to the differences between a mammogram and an ultrasound, and what each exam shows.

She also sees confusion in patients when trying to fully understand why benign lumps, or noncancerous growths, can cause discomfort and may need treatment.

Information about genetic cancers have also become of increasing interest for patients, especially after high-profile cases such as Angelia Jolie’s, Chu explained. The breast surgeon encourages anyone with these or additional questions to attend tomorrow’s seminar.

She also suggests attendees wear comfortable clothes, as she will lead a self-examination demonstration for women to follow along.

This story was originally published October 19, 2014 at 8:15 PM with the headline "Merced surgeon to present breast health seminar Tuesday."