Carson Tahoe’s Think Pink Breast Cancer Awareness campaign kicks off Thursday

Carson Tahoe Health’s 14th annual Think Pink breast cancer awareness campaign kicks off this Thursday at Red’s Old 395 Grill from 5 to 7 p.m. in Carson City.

The event is free to attend and individuals wearing a Carson Tahoe Think Pink T-shirt (any year) will receive free appetizers courtesy of Red’s, which is hosting the event. T-shirts can be purchased for a $10 suggested donation at the event. 100 percent of proceeds from all Think Pink t-shirts, specialty drinks, and raffle sales will go to the Carson Tahoe Cancer Resource Center for cancer education and support.

“Statistics show that one in eight women will develop breast cancer within their lifetime,” said Diane Rush, Marketing Manager at Carson Tahoe Health. “Early detection is the key to survival. Think Pink encourages women to take control of their health by getting annual mammograms, doing regular self-breast exams and scheduling annual clinical exams.”

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Recent studies show that although women are aware they should get a mammogram and do regular self-breast exams, the majority of women in the high risk groups do not follow recommended guidelines. Carson Tahoe Health sponsors Think Pink to remind women to be proactive with their breast health.

New to Carson Tahoe Health’s education efforts this year is their participation in the “Each One. Tell One.” campaign. Led by KTVN evening news anchor and health reporter Wendy Damonte, this community-wide initiative aims to raise awareness of the issue surrounding dense breast tissue and additional screenings. About 40 percent of women in the U.S. have dense breasts, meaning they have more glandular/fibrous tissue than fatty tissue. In some cases, having dense breast tissue can make it challenging to identify certain types of breast cancer through mammography alone.

“Research shows that getting regular mammograms is the best way to detect cancer early, regardless of breast density,” said Dr. Betsy Card with Carson Tahoe Health. “Women with dense breast tissue should talk to their doctor to determine whether a supplemental exam (such as breast ultrasound or MRI) might be useful, in combination with mammography, as part of their personalized screening plan.”

For more information on Carson Tahoe’s breast cancer awareness campaign, Think Pink, please call Carson Tahoe Cancer Services at (775) 445-7500. For more information on breast health, visit CarsonTahoe.com/BreastHealth.
About Carson Tahoe Health (CTH)
Carson Tahoe Health is a local, not-for-profit healthcare system consisting of two hospitals, two urgent cares, an emergent care center, outpatient services and a provider network with 19 regional locations.

The system is headquartered on a beautiful master planned medical campus nestled among the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in North Carson City. As the system’s cornerstone, Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center (CTRMC), voted 5th most beautiful hospital in the nation, was the first Baby-Friendly designated hospital in Nevada.

This magnificent facility offers a tranquil healing environment with 153 private rooms, 6 deluxe rooms available for double occupancy, an advanced open heart surgery program and expanded 24 hour emergency care. Also included on the campus is Carson Tahoe Sierra Surgery, a 15-bed boutique elective surgery arm of CTRMC, and the State’s only Gold Level cancer center – Carson Tahoe Cancer Center, an affiliate of Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah. For more information, go to www.carsontahoe.com.