“You have cancer.” They’re three words no one wants to hear. And for many people, by the time symptoms appear and a diagnosis is made, the disease has already progressed to a more serious stage. Whether you have a family history of cancer or simply want to be proactive about your health, it’s important to understand your cancer risk.
In October, BayCare launched its Cancer Risk Assessment Program, which uses CancerIQ software to evaluate a patient’s risk for nine types of cancer: breast, colorectal, endometrial, gastric, kidney, lung, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate.
Led by Dr. Peter Blumencranz, medical director of the BayCare Cancer Institute, and Erika Oschmann, an APRN who has worked with oncology patients for nearly a decade, the program is the only one of its kind in West Central Florida—a concept years in the making.
Often, people don’t know they have cancer until they develop symptoms—such as a breast lump or unexplained weight loss—that prompt a doctor’s visit. This program is designed for those who don’t want to wait for symptoms or for the recommended age of routine screenings, such as age 45 for a mammogram or age 45 for a colonoscopy (previously 50). Identifying at-risk individuals earlier allows physicians to begin screenings sooner and detect cancer at more treatable stages.
“What I want to see in the long run is—say you have a graph of stage 1 to stage 4 from left to right—can we move that curve so that over the next five years, instead of finding X number of patients who are already stage 3 or 4, we shift the curve to the left and find more stage 1s and 2s?” Dr. Blumencranz says.
According to the Cancer Research Institute, there are more than 200 types of cancer — some named for the body part where they originate and others classified by the type of cell. Breast, prostate, lung and colorectal are the four most common.
The initial assessment takes only three to five minutes and asks patients about their family cancer history, lifestyle factors such as smoking, and basic information like age, height and weight. It’s also free to complete.
For patients identified as high risk, Oschmann meets with them to create a personalized care plan and screening schedule. Those who want to pursue further evaluation can take a longer assessment, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes—similar to filling out new patient paperwork. And even if you have a negative screening or negative genetic test, that doesn’t mean you’ll never develop cancer.
“We don’t want lack of insurance or lower income to be a barrier, so we offer resources to help,” Oschmann says. For patients who qualify for genetic testing, the team can help secure coverage in 90% to 95% of cases.
As of the first week of December, 450 people had taken the survey over a five-week period. About 100 of those individuals qualified for advanced screening or were considered high risk, and the program has engaged 50–70 of them—including a patient in whom an incidental lung nodule was discovered, despite not having smoked in 20 years.
Screening for cancer is important, but lifestyle choices also play a key role, says Dr. Lary
Robinson, a thoracic surgeon at Moffitt Cancer Center. Obesity, poor diet, lack of exercise, insufficient sleep and stress all contribute to cancer risk. A balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries and whole grains, combined with regular exercise and seven to nine hours of sleep a night, can help lower that risk.
“You’re not a ‘prisoner of your genes,’” Robinson says. “You are in charge of your health, whether that is good or bad.”
For those ready to take control of their health, take the survey at BayCare.org/KnowYourRisk to understand your cancer risk and take the first step toward early detection.
Barry Manilow has revealed that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The singer shared a statement on Instagram revealing his diagnosis and that he needs to reschedule his January shows in order to have surgery to remove a spot. Manilow shared that doctors found the spot after a doctor ordered an MRI over his case of bronchitis. “As many of you know, I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks. Even though I was over the bronchitis and back on stage at the Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK,” Manilow said in his statement. “The MRI discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed. It’s pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early. That’s the good news.” “The doctors do not believe it has spread, and I’m taking tests to confirm their diagnosis. So, that’s it. No chemo. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns,” Manilow continued.Manilow shared that while his January shows will be rescheduled, he plans to be back performing in February in Las Vegas. He ended his message encouraging everyone to get tested if they ever feel like something is wrong.
Barry Manilow has revealed that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
The singer shared a statement on Instagram revealing his diagnosis and that he needs to reschedule his January shows in order to have surgery to remove a spot.
Manilow shared that doctors found the spot after a doctor ordered an MRI over his case of bronchitis.
“As many of you know, I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks. Even though I was over the bronchitis and back on stage at the Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK,” Manilow said in his statement. “The MRI discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed. It’s pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early. That’s the good news.”
“The doctors do not believe it has spread, and I’m taking tests to confirm their diagnosis. So, that’s it. No chemo. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns,” Manilow continued.
Manilow shared that while his January shows will be rescheduled, he plans to be back performing in February in Las Vegas.
He ended his message encouraging everyone to get tested if they ever feel like something is wrong.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, advocate Daphne Meyers decided to elevate her mission of creating safe spaces and encouraging early detection by launching EmpowHer and Him. The organization aims to empower those who have been diagnosed and increase the visibility of men in the breast cancer conversation.
The Atlanta Voice talked with Meyers about the organization’s annual brunch, the importance of early detection, and what it means to be on the frontline of this fight.
Photo by Laura Nwogu/The Atlanta Voice
The Atlanta Voice: EmpowHER and HIM recently held its annual breast cancer awareness brunch. What’s been the most important part of getting to see how much this organization and the people who support it have grown?
Daphne Myers: “When we started, it was called the Tatas and Tutus. I was an advocate for breast cancer, but had never really thought much about the men. It wasn’t until the second year that I was like, ‘Well, men can get breast cancer, so why am I not getting men to come to this event?’ The first year, none. In the second year, we probably had four, and one of them was my son. So I said, ‘Okay, I’m getting interest. Men are buying the tickets, but they’re sending their wives or sisters or daughters; they’re not coming.’
“I changed the name in the third year to Tatas, Tutus, and Ties. The most rewarding aspect of that is seeing how it has grown from year one to year five. We probably had at least 60 men this year, and that’s grown from having none, to a year of four, and then maybe double that the following year. And so now it seems as if we have just as many men in there.”
AV: “I love that. Let’s go back a little. EmpowHer and Him is about uplifting every fighter, men and women, going through this battle. Can you talk about how the organization began?
DM: “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021. Based on my diagnosis, I thought, ‘I’ve always been an advocate, so where do I go from here to raise more awareness among men and women?’ Being diagnosed with breast cancer, you’re all over the place. First, you have to accept it, and then second, you have to figure out how to navigate. You’ve got to decide whether to do treatment or not, and how it’s going to affect your livelihood. So the questions that were in my mind as someone with breast cancer at that particular time prompted me to say, ‘You know what? If I had those questions, there are millions of other people who have those same questions. And if I have the answer to it, then I need to open up my mouth and be able to give the gift of awareness.
“This is bigger than me. It’s bigger than the Tatas, Tutus, and Ties. It’s about bringing about awareness, not just for women, but also for men. In the past year, I found myself doing a lot of speaking engagements, and a lot of men, just like women, don’t know about breast cancer. That’s where EmpowHER and HIM came about. I had to use this mouthpiece to bring about awareness so that people know that early detection is key. If I tell one person, then that person tells someone else; it becomes a domino effect. Your work is not done, but it keeps going.”
AV: I think that’s so admirable that your fight became perspective, and it became this thing about you wanting to lend a helping hand and be a support system for other people who may be going through their own breast cancer journey or fight.
When it comes to the aspect of men being diagnosed with breast cancer, why do you think there’s not a lot of visibility in their fight?
DM: “There’s no talk about it. Even from the medical profession, there’s not a lot of talk about it. I did an interview, probably about two or three weeks ago, and I was talking to this man about breast cancer, and he said, ‘Yeah, you don’t think about men with breast cancer.’ I said, ‘But you have a chest.’ He says, ‘OK, well, let’s maybe say breast and chest cancer.’
“People don’t understand that they have breast tissue; this is our breastplate. It’s not just prostate [cancer], and it’s not just colon. We have to come together and understand that yeah, it may be a small percentage, but it is there. When you see the Susan G. Komen’s or the American Cancer Society, you see women, and the men are in the background. With EmpowHer and Him, we’re both standing there side by side. So that’s why the ribbon is half pink and half blue. It’s about making it more relatable to them. Men don’t know that they can get a mammogram. When you go to fill out your paperwork, it says, when was your last period? How many pregnancies? You’re putting on this pink robe to get your mammogram, all of that. Our medical society doesn’t even pay attention to it as much as we should.”
AV: What do you think there needs to be more awareness about when it comes to breast cancer?
DM: “Early detection. That’s the key to anything. I know it sounds cliché-ish, but we have to start with checking our breasts and our chest at an early age, and especially if you have a history of it in your family. Because I was diagnosed with breast cancer, it kind of moves the scale up for my children to be checked.
“People of color, our breast tissue is more dense, so it goes undetected. On a regular mammogram mine was missed the first time. It wasn’t until I got the 3D that detected my breast cancer. Had I gone on and thought it was clear, I may not have been sitting here talking to you today.”
AV: For those that are looking for resources or someone to talk to, what can EmpowHer and Him be for that person?
DM: “I’m frontline, and what better person to be frontline than the person who’s actually going through it? I get calls every week of a new diagnosis, and I have to put a lot of hats on. I have to speak, because the one thing people want to know is, ‘What’s your suggestion?’ Do what’s gonna be best for you. Don’t just run with the first thing and then say, this is what I’m gonna do without checking deeper into it. The other thing is for resources. When you’re going through treatment, you’re not gonna feel good. I had to go through 18 rounds. You’re tired, you’re sad, you go into depression. So you have to battle with all of those things. There are several support groups that are out there, including with us.
“I found myself telling people to just start journaling. Do what makes you feel good to get you through that. Ask for help. It’s not a death sentence. Just because we’re diagnosed with breast cancer doesn’t mean that that’s our end. It’s actually a beginning. And it was a beginning for me, because I was on one side of the Richter scale as an advocate, to now I’m a surviving advocate, and my goal is to put this out there as much as possible and really help bring about this awareness with me.”
AV: What does it mean for you to be on the front line and to see what the organization has grown into?
DM: “I’m proud of myself. And a lot of times people say, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t brag.’ No, I am. I’m proud of myself, I’m proud of my friends, I’m proud of my family, because while I was a survivor of the disease, they were survivors of me, because they were there with me. I’m proud when that person comes to me and says, ‘Man, that event that you had opened up some doors. I’m gonna get tested.’ ‘I didn’t know that, because I’m a male…’ or ‘I didn’t know that just by changing your diet to this, that and the third could help…’ ‘I didn’t know how to do an exam.’
“My first scare, believe it or not, was when I was eight years old, so by the time I was diagnosed, that was my fifth surgery. So it’s here. Unfortunately they say that there’s no cure, but there are some things that we can change. We just have to take care of ourselves, love one another, keep down the stress, and survive this game.”
The gift, which was secured by NUMC Board of Directors Chair Stuart Rabinowitz, will fund 3D mammography and bone density scanning systems to enhance the hospital’s ability to diagnose breast cancer and bone health.
“This extraordinary act of generosity will help us detect breast cancer and osteoporosis earlier, treat them more effectively, and save countless lives,” Dr. Richard Becker, NUMC Interim CEO, said in a news release about the gift.
“This is an investment in every woman who entrusts her care to NUMC,” Becker added
“The new technology funded by the generosity of an anonymous donor has strengthened NUMC’s ability to provide the highest quality care to our patients,” Rabinowitz said in the news release.
“We are deeply committed to ensuring accessible care for every member of our community, and this investment will help us deliver on that promise for generations to come,” Rabinowitz added.
The donation comes at a critical moment for NUMC, which works to provide equitable, high-quality healthcare to women across Long Island, particularly those in underserved communities. Its current mammography equipment, purchased in 2010, has reached the end of its operational lifespan.
On Long Island, about one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, with even higher rates seen among underserved communities that turn to NUMC for care, according to the hospital. Early detection can make a life-saving difference, leading to less invasive treatment and far better outcomes, medical experts say.
The donation will fund new Hologic 3D mammography systems with biopsy capability to streamline diagnosis and speed care. The systems produce high-resolution 3D images that help improve cancer detection accuracy, reduce unnecessary biopsies and cut “anxiety-inducing” callback rates by nearly 50 percent, hospital officials said. The systems also feature self-controlled compression for greater patient comfort and allow screening and biopsy on the same platform.
NUMC’s Mobile Mammography Unit (also known as the “Mammo Van”) already brings Hologic 3D technology directly into the community, expanding access to breast cancer screening for patients who may otherwise face barriers to care. The new in-hospital systems will build on these results, supporting NUMC’s mission of early detection and health equity.
Early detection of bone loss and osteoporosis is key to maintaining women’s long-term health. Bone density screening is standard care, especially for postmenopausal women, because it helps guide treatment for chronic conditions and improves quality of life.
The donation will also fund a new Hologic Horizon Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) System, replacing an outdated model. The Horizon DXA uses low-dose X-rays to accurately measure bone mineral density, evaluate fracture risk and assess body composition, including fat and lean mass. The system’s high-resolution imaging and fast output is designed for precise, efficient and preventive diagnostic care, hospital officials said.
Early cancer detection advocate Lainie Jones dies at 41.
Courtesy of Lainie Jones’ family
Lainie Jones believed in the power of being early.
She credited early detection as the reason she survived six different types of cancer—and it became the driving force behind her lifelong advocacy for early detection research and support for others facing cancer. Jones, who suffered from Li-Fraumeni syndrome — a rare genetic condition that made her prone to multiple cancers — shared her journey with her Instagram followers around the world, encouraging them to do self-checks and stay current with doctor visits.
Her first battle with cancer was when she was only 18 months old. Jones died Oct. 14 at her Fort Lauderdale home with her husband, Joseph “JJ” Jones, by her side at 41.
Jones’ father, Jeff Schultz, 74, said it was her advocacy that kept her going. “She really enjoyed being a mentor to people who had cancer,” he said, recalling one young woman who called herself one of Jones’ “mutant buddies” at her Thursday funeral in reference to their shared Li-Fraumeni diagnosis.
Her optimism and candor reached far beyond her social media. Jones thrived in her work with the American Cancer Society, where she worked for the Hope Lodge in New York City, and later joined the organization’s events department and helped lead its gala. “She was infectious,” friend and former colleague at the American Cancer Society, Lorraine Katt, 52, said. “People just wanted to be around her.”
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz first met Jones in 2009 at a Sharsheret Walk in Boca Raton and was immediately “enveloped by her light and energy and her ferocity.” The two went on to work together over the years to raise awareness, funds and legislation for cancer research and early detection.
Lainie Jones and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Courtesy of Lainie Jones’ family.
“She was all gas, no quit,” Wasserman Schultz said. “She had every reason to really only think about herself, but instead thought about everybody else but herself.”
Even after enduring brutal treatments for brain cancer, Jones insisted on speaking at Wasserman Schultz’s annual Cancer Survivorship Summit last month. “She was so determined to be able to be at that summit and deliver her message,” the congresswoman said.
Her last message to her Instagram followers showed her commitment to funding research for cancer treatment.
“I’ve faced seven primary cancers, gone through multiple treatments, and I’m still thriving,” she wrote in one of her final Instagram posts. “Research doesn’t just matter — it saves lives.”
‘Live every day like it’s your first’
Schultz remembers his daughter as “the center of attention” from the moment she was born. Jones was the middle child in the family, which moved to South Florida when she was around 6.
After her first battle with cancer when she was a toddler, she was eventually declared cancer-free.
But by age 24, she was diagnosed again—this time with breast cancer. By then, Jones had been dating JJ Jones, who she met at the Abercrombie & Fitch store in Boca Raton Town Center in 2004, for a few years.
Doctors told her she’d need a full-time caregiver and might have to move back in with her parents. Unsure what to do, she called JJ Jones. He knew exactly what to do—he packed up his place in Boynton Beach and moved in to care for her.
Lainie Jones and her husband, Joseph “JJ” Jones. Courtesy of Lainie Jones’ family
“Most young men would have bolted,” Schultz said of his son-in-law. “He has been with her through anything and everything that she’s gone through.”
JJ Jones proposed to Jones on April Fool’s Day at her favorite place—Disney World—because she loved how magical and happy it felt. They were married on March 3, 2012.
Over the years, she would face breast cancer, thyroid cancer, melanoma, sarcoma, adrenal carcinoma, non-smoker’s lung cancer and finally glioblastoma.
But JJ Jones said that his wife never lived her life in fear and instead chose to “live everyday like it’s your first.”
Optimism never dimmed
Jones was also a devoted fashionista, always ahead of the latest trends, her husband said.
Her sense of style is what Katt, her friend and colleague, first noticed when Jones came in for an interview at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge in New York City in 2015.
“I remember seeing her walk out of the elevator in a bright pink blazer and thinking, oh boy, who’s this? She’s definitely Florida,” Katt said from New York City.
Katt, now the lodge’s general manager, said she immediately told her boss, “If we don’t grab her, this will be such a big mistake.” The two quickly became close friends.
Lainie Jones and Lorraine Katt Courtesy of Lorraine Katt
Jones thrived at the American Cancer Society, and she later would thrive as an advocate on social media through her Instagram account, @theearlydetective. She encouraged followers to do self-checks and stay up to date with doctor visits. Her husband said she would light up whenever someone messaged to say her posts helped them catch cancer early.
Katt last spoke to Jones on Sept. 30, to tell her she was dedicating a 180-mile fundraising hike in Spain to her. “You guys are wonderful, and I love you,” Katt said Jones told her during their final conversation.
Even after multiple diagnoses, her optimism never dimmed. “She would always say, ‘What’s the alternative—be negative? That’s not me,” Katt said.
Lainie Jones Courtesy of Lainie Jones’ family
Those who knew and loved Jones knew she would want to be remembered as a warrior, with her husband also describing her as a rainbow—always colorful and bright. Lainie Jones is survived by her husband JJ, her father Jeff and mother Kathy Schultz, and her brothers Brian and Joey Schultz.
