By 
By Mikayla Harris
The Susan G. Komen Foundation will host its inaugural Metastatic Breast Cancer Conference on Saturday, Feb. 22, on the campus of Saint Louis University at the II Monastero Banquet Center.
This is a free event, presented by the metastatic breast cancer community, which aims to raise awareness and recognize the trying experiences of metastatic breast cancer patients. MBC is a type of breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes to other organs of the body, such as the bones, liver, brain and lungs. At the event, attendees will have opportunities to discuss treatment breakthroughs, ongoing clinical trials, quality-of-life issues and patient advocacy.
Sheila McGlown, who will speak at the conference, was a 25-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran who was on active military duty when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009.
Sheila McGlown Photo courtesy of Sheila McGlown
“While I was sitting at my desk, I sneezed and felt a sharp pain in my ribs.” McGlown recalled. “A week later, I sneezed again, and I felt a burning sensation between my chest and ribs.”
While seeing the military physician, McGlown was advised that “breast cancer is not painful, the pain in your ribs wouldn’t be a symptom.” But she wasn’t convinced, and sought help at the Siteman Cancer Center.
“I didn’t have a lump, and even when I went to Siteman (the oncologist), didn’t feel a lump,” she said.
When McGlown received her first official mammogram, she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer and was told cancer not only spread beyond her breast to her ribs, it also developed lesions on her liver.
“Hearing that was a mental task, but you have to fight it and continue to live,” she said.
McGlown has now been living with MBC for 10 years, way beyond the life expectancy rate of three to five years. She is an advocate for clinical trials
“It works, and it is because of new medicine and research that I’m still here,” she said. “That’s the point of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Conference – there will be oncologists there to discuss new treatments coming out, or treatments that are already in clinical trials.”
Not only will the conference be informational and helpful, according to McGlown, she also emphasizes the importance of an event like this to the African American community.
“Studies show African American women face both disproportionate exposure to breast cancer and have the highest risk of serious health impacts from the disease,” she said, adding that cancer will not win over her life. “Advocate for yourself because cancer is a beast.”
The Metastatic Breast Cancer Conference is intended to help cultivate a community of support for people living with MBC by sharing diverse perspectives, experiences and testimonials. Women who are living with breast cancer, as well as insurers and policy makers, are encouraged to attend.
For more information, visit komenmissouri.org/mbcevent or call (314) 644-5400.
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