The Winston County Journal

In the battle against breast cancer, nothing is more important than early detection.

That's the message organizers of the Winston County BATTLE Luncheon are trying to get out to local women.

This year, they'll rely of Freda McKissic Bush, M.D., to help spread the word and kick off recognition of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Bush will serve as the keynote speaker at the ninth-annual installment of the luncheon, which will take place at Lake Tiak-O'Khata at noon on Sept. 28.

Organizers say Bush is known to be an outstandingspeaker and scholar, and her presentation will serve as a reminder of the seriousness of breast cancer and its effect on patients as well as their families and friends.

Bush, of Jackson, is a practicing board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist. Since 1968, she has been involved in women's health issues, functioning firstas a registered nurse and later as a certified nurse midwife. Bush graduated from the University of Mississippi Medical School in 1983 and completed her residency at the University of Tennessee-Memphis in 1987.

Bush has previously served on the Mississippi Task Force on Reducing Out-of-Wedlock Pregnancies. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Medical Institute of Sexual Health and is medical director for the Center for Pregnancy Choices-Metro Jackson and the Women's Resource Center. For seven years, she co-sponsored a conference on abstinence and youth in Jackson and served as a consultant for the writer of "Faith Matters: How African-American Faith Communities Can Help Prevent Teen Pregnancy," a guide published by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.

In addition, Bush served as a member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Health Resource and Services Administration Advisory Committee on HIV and STD Prevention and Treatment (CHAC). She currently serves on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. She has served 12 years on the Mississippi State Medical Licensure Board and is currently in her second term as director of the Federation of State Medical Boards.

At the 150th Annual Session of the Mississippi State Medical Association, Bush was selected by her peers to receive the prestigious Community Service Award. Bush and her husband Lee have been married for 37 years. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

Luncheon organizers hope Bush's preeminence in her field will draw residents of Winston County to the luncheon, where they will have the chance to learn more about the deadly disease of breast cancer.

"Breast cancer touches everyone," Peggy Crawford, one of the founders of the Winston County BATTLE Luncheon said. "It's difficult to find someone whose mother, wife, child or next-door-neighbor has not suffered from this disease. Our statistics are better, but people are still dying from breast cancer."

Teaching the women of Winston County early detection methods, which have been proven to save lives, has been the goal of Crawford and others since the beginnings of the BATTLE Luncheon.

BATTLE stands for Breast Cancer Awareness to Teach Ladies Early Detection, since early detection is a great tool in the fight against breast cancer. The group uses the luncheon as a reminder to seek early detection.

"The BATTLE luncheon is designed to help individuals and families learn more about breast cancer and the importance of early detection," Glenda Gregory, a founding member of the luncheon, explained. "Because breast cancer has no prospective age, gender or race, this luncheon is for everyone who wants to prolong his or her life."

Early detection applies a strategy that results in earlier diagnosis of breast cancer, which could otherwise go unnoticed for years. Breast cancers that are detected because they are causing symptoms tend to be relatively larger and are more likely to have spread beyond the breast. In contrast, breast cancers found during early detection screening examinations are more likely to be smaller and still confined to the breast.

As part of the luncheon's tradition, a fashion show featuring breast cancer survivors will also be held.

Those interested in attending and survivors interested in taking part in the fashion show should contact Crawford at 773-3696, Gregory at 773-2882, or the Winston County office of the Mississippi State University Extension Service at 773-5531.