Breast Cancer Survivor, Advocate & Mom of 7: This Mother’s Day, Let TV Journalist Joan Lunden Inspire You

Now, she’s made it her mission to advocate for awareness. Earlier this year, she was featured as a keynote speaker for the 10th Anniversary of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s (BRCF) Cure In Our Lifetime breakfast.

Despite her very busy life — she worked as the co-host of ABC’s Good Morning America between 1980 and 1997 and has written 12 books — and her health struggles, Lunden maintains that having a large family keeps her “energized.”

“It’s energizing to me. I’m a person who just has always taken on life at full speed. So I think that I was wise in my choice,” she told Closer Weekly in an earlier interview.

Joan Lunden’s Breast Cancer Journey

In 2014, Lunden was diagnosed with stage 2 triple-negative breast cancer, which means her cancer was not being fueled by any of the three main types of receptors: estrogen, progesterone, or the HER2 protein.

Since triple-negative breast cancer is constantly unresponsive to certain targeted therapies, including hormone therapy or HER2-targeted agents like Herceptin, chemotherapy is often the treatment choice, and there are several options.

Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of the disease and if the cancer is advanced, your doctor may also recommend participation in a clinical trial that involves immunotherapy or targeted therapies.

Joan Lunden talks facing cancer, aging, and her new book.

In Lunden’s case, the treatment was chemo.

“She went through chemo and if I couldn’t be at a session, Joan’s girls would be there. It’s all about the support, it’s about the family, it’s about the community, it’s about loved ones,” her supportive husband Jeff Konigsberg previously said, while detailing Lunden’s breast cancer treatment.

Meanwhile, in an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, Lunden shared that she knew little about breast cancer before she was diagnosed with it.

“Candidly,” Lunden said. “I never thought I would be one of the women who would get breast cancer. The fact that I didn’t understand the significance of dense breast tissue kind of just lit a fire in me and sent me on this mission to say, ‘Here I am a journalist, and how could I have been so uneducated about something so incredibly important.'”

Dense Breasts & Breast Cancer Detection

If you have dense breasts, it becomes more difficult to detect cancer with a regular mammogram. Unfortunately, there’s no way to determine if you have dense breasts just by feeling them — only a mammogram can determine if you have dense breast tissue.

Because of this, some doctors suggest seeking out a facility that offers 3D mammograms. That’s definitely something worth discussing with your doctor.

Dr. Connie Lehman explains the benefits of a 3D mammogram.

There is a wide consensus that women should have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54.

And while leading organizations like the American Cancer Society say women should have the option to begin annual screenings between 40 and 45, there is some disagreement among doctors as to whether this is beneficial.

For example, after saying for years that women shouldn’t begin mammograms until 50, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently changed their guidelines to say that women of average risk should begin at 40.

Dr. Connie Lehman, a diagnostic radiologist as Mass General in Boston, says when you begin mammograms is a decision you should discuss with your doctor, as they can help you understand your specific circumstances and weigh the benefits and potential risks of earlier screening.

On the other hand, Dr. Lehman says, you should start yearly mammogram screening as early as age 30 if you fit into the high-risk category, meaning you have a first-degree relative who has had breast cancer, have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, or had radiation to the chest area when you were young.

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