health Clinical Services: High Risk Consultations | Genetic Risk | Surgery Clinical Trials | Multidisciplinary Care | Imaging & Diagnostic Our Mission Comprehensive Breast Care is a surgical practice with 100% dedication to the care of the patient with breast disease. Whether benign or malignant, coordinated and efficient care plans are critical. Our mission is to navigate patients via evidence based 'care plans' to achieve a diagnosis and treatment plan. Drs. Linsey Gold and Eric Brown 4967 Crooks Road Suite 210 Troy Michigan, 48098 LINDSAY JAYE PHOTOGRAPHY Promoting Wellness and Breast Health Melissa and Shane Mally of Huntington Woods with their son Jonah, 1 “We need to raise awareness and get the message out. You can catch things so much earlier if you really have an understanding of what you’re up against.” 248-687-7300 | Fax: 248-687-7305 www.compbreastcare.com — ELLYN DAVIDSON continued from page 58 Marvin & Betty Danto Health Care Center 6800 West Maple Road West Bloomfield, MI 48322 248.788.5300 IChoseHeartland.com 60 October 25 • 2018 jn Today, she’s a survivor, a tireless advo- cate and a national adviser. Davidson was nominated and named to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women. The committee “helps the CDC develop evidence-based approaches to advance understand- ing and awareness of breast cancer among young women through pre- vention research, public and health professional education, and awareness activities and emerging prevention strategies,” according to the organiza- tion’s website. “It’s a huge honor to be accepted on this committee that’s so influential,” Davidson says. “There are still a lot of misconceptions out there, and there are still a lot of things people don’t think about either because they don’t want to or because they just want to think everything’s OK.” Sadly, Davidson knows many young women who have died because they either didn’t know or fully understand their risk. In one case, a young mother in her 30s lived with a lump for a year and a half, thinking she was not in danger because of her young age, only to later learn she had Stage 4 breast cancer. In her own case, Davidson felt a lump, but it did not show up on a mammogram. She instantly felt a false sense of relief, but she actually did have cancer. It was only discovered when the lump was removed and tested. “People didn’t think about it. I didn’t think about breast cancer in younger women,” she says. “It wasn’t something that was on my radar at all because I didn’t think I had a family history. It turns out the history is on my father’s side, and there weren’t a lot of women on that side of the family.” Davidson is also board president of FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered. The 20-year-old national organization is focused on advocacy, advancing research and clinical trials, and representing the concerns and interests of individuals and families affected by hereditary cancers. “There’s still so much work to do,” Davidson says. “We need to raise awareness and get the message out. You can catch things so much earlier if you really have an understanding of what you’re up against.” ■ To learn more about FORCE, visit facingourrisk.org.