NMC Health Network marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month with 5th annual Simply Pink event

Nacogdoches, TX – NMC Health Network is pleased to invite the community to attend the 5th annual Simply Pink fashion show and fundraiser in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18 at the Fredonia Hotel and Convention Center. Simply Pink attendees will be treated to a fun night of dinner, dancing and a fashion show featuring incredible outfits from local boutiques. The band 4 on the Floor will be back to rock the house. Proceeds from Simply Pink will go to the newly founded Nacogdoches Area Cancer Coalition.

Many of the models are stepping back from their everyday roles as healthcare providers to strut the catwalk, including Medical Director of NMC Laird Cancer Center, Dr. Mary Hebert.

“This is certainly outside of my everyday routine,” Dr. Hebert said. “But if it brings awareness to the importance of getting your mammogram each year and saves even one life, it’s totally worth it.”

Survivor speaker, Cissi Smith, will share with guests about her diagnosis, treatment and eventual prevail over breast cancer. She will discuss how conquering the disease has shaped her life and sent her on a mission to spread the word about the importance of self-care and getting a yearly mammogram. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer accounts for more than 1 in 3 cancers diagnosed in the United States, making it the most common cancer among women, other than skin cancer. About 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with some form of breast cancer during their lifetime.

Philip Koovakada, CEO of NMC Health Network, says in addition to raising funds to fight breast cancer, Simply Pink also encourages women to get the one picture that could save their lives – a mammogram. “Women spend so much of their time taking care of others,” Koovakada said. “It’s important for them to take time for themselves by making their annual visit to their doctor, maintaining routine self-exams and ensuring they are getting mammograms as recommended by their healthcare provider.”

Early detection through mammogram screenings, increased public awareness of breast cancer and improved treatments have helped reduce the rate of death from breast cancer in the United States. Mammogram screenings can detect breast cancer when it is smaller and more confined to the breast, allowing the cancer to be treated more easily.

NMC offers the latest in breast cancer care including comprehensive screening services, which soon will include 3-D digital screening mammography, the latest state-of-the-art technology. 3-D mammography exams allow a radiologist to examine breast tissue layer by layer. Instead of viewing all the complexities of breast tissue in the flat image, the radiologist can see the fine details that may have been hidden on a conventional 2-D exam. This may allow for earlier detection of breast cancer and may result in fewer callbacks for additional diagnostic imaging.