Polk Fit, Fresh and Friendly (PF3) will host a free community HealthTalk on breast cancer, Thursday, October 24, at 5:30 p.m. at the Tryon Depot, located at 22 Depot St. in Tryon. General surgeon Gerhardt Winkel, MD, will speak on all aspects of breast cancer and will answer questions from the attendees. 

 

“With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this is an excellent opportunity for a HealthTalk on the subject,” PF3 Chair Jessica Spivey-Raines said. “One in eight women will get breast cancer. But understanding and early detection are the most important aspects of surveying it. Dr. Winkel has prepared an excellent presentation. These 45 minutes could save your life.”

 

Dr. Gerhardt Winkel attended the University of Iowa for both undergraduate and medical school where he graduated with highest honors. He completed his surgical training at the University of Florida, specializing in colonoscopy, laparoscopic procedures, breast surgery, hernias, skin cancer and all general surgical procedures. Since 1997, Dr. Winkel has practiced surgery in Florida, Indiana and North Carolina. His specialties include appendix and gallbladder removal, colon resections, colonoscopies, wound care, breast surgery, open and laparoscopic surgery, all types of hernia repairs, upper and lower endoscopy, skin cancers and vein procedures. He is currently on the medical staff at St. Luke’s Hospital.

 

According to the Mayor Clinic, after skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States. Breast cancer can occur in both men and women, but it’s far more common in women. Substantial support for breast cancer awareness and research funding has helped create advances in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer survival rates have increased, and the number of deaths associated with this disease is steadily declining, largely due to factors such as earlier detection, a new personalized approach to treatment and a better understanding of the disease.

 

For more information, please visit online at PolkFitFreshAndFriendly.org.

 

Submitted by Steve Wong