Knowledge Is Power: Fight Breast Cancer with Awareness
- Nearly 11 years after surviving breast cancer, veteran journalist Amy Robach is reflecting on the life-changing moment her very first mammogram revealed a shocking diagnosis. Speaking with Drew Barrymore, Robach admitted she never imagined breast cancer could happen to her and thought she was too young to be screened, making the news all the more startling.
- Robach, formerly a host for “Good Morning America,” was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer and underwent a bilateral mastectomy (removal of both breasts) and chemotherapy to treat it and reach remission just one year after her diagnosis.
- A mammogram is a standard breast cancer screening that examines breast tissue for signs of cancer.
- While there is some disagreement about the exact age a woman should start getting mammograms, doctors generally agree it should happen in their 40s. The American Cancer Society (ACS) suggests women should begin annual mammogram screenings for breast cancer at age 45 if they are at average risk for breast cancer.
- However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) says that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.
Robach, a mother of two who has been in remission since 2014, overcame the disease after undergoing a double mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy and reconstructive surgery.
Read MoreBarrymore then chimed in, “You were balancing a morning show, which is where, is it true, you actually discovered that you had breast cancer?”
Robach answered, “Correct. It was a work assignment. I had my first mammogram ever on live national television. And that led to my breast cancer diagnosis.
“I was shocked. It was my first mammogram ever. I have no family history of breast cancer. And I did not think cancer could happen to me.”
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When Barrymore questioned if her doctors ever mentioned what would have happened if she hadn’t discovered the cancer, Robach explained, “I don’t think I’d be sitting on this couch with you. I can say that much because I had already had it for several years.”
Barrymore then commended Robach for getting a mammogram on live TV and showing others how important it is to remember to get annual checkups.
Robach also admitted that she previously didn’t think she needed a mammogram because at the time of her diagnosis, the recommended age of screening was 50. However, it’s now 40, as per the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF). The USPSTF recommends, “all women get screened for breast cancer every other year, starting at age 40 and continuing through age 74, to reduce their risk of dying from this disease.”
Expert Resources on Breast Cancer Screening
- Bi-Annual Mammograms At Age 40 Now Recommended For Most Women, What The New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Mean For You
- Breast Cancer: Introduction to Prevention & Screening
- Tattoo Ink Can Complicate Breast Cancer Screenings; Here’s What You Need to Know About Detection and Screening
- Black Women May Need To Start Breast Cancer Screening At 42, According To A New Study
- The Mammogram Debate: Should Women Start Breast Cancer Screening at 30?
The legendary journalist continued, “I am in remission and I actually am about to celebrate my 11 year cancerversary. So yes, I’m very happy to say that I’m healthy, that I’m taking care of myself, that I now make all of those doctor’s appointments that I was not making, that I didn’t think I needed to have.
“So yes, I’ve been vigilant and I have been sounding the horn for this past decade.”
Robach’s chat with Barrymore took place as the journalist has teamed up with Novartis to spread awareness.
She captioned a sponsored post on her Instagram, featuring Robach in an ad, which note’s she did not take the drug that is being advertised, “#Sponsored by Novartis My journey started 11 years ago – with a mammogram on live TV. That moment led to a diagnosis that changed everything. In the hardest moments, it was community that carried me through – and now, I’m committed to giving back.
“That’s why I’m proud to partner with Novartis to launch Voices of MORE™ – a new series of real, honest conversations about what it’s like living with breast cancer. As your MOREspondent, I’ll be diving into topics where nothing’s off the table. From identity and fear of recurrence to relationships, motherhood and reclaiming a sense of control after a diagnosis. Because no one should walk this road alone.”
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We’re glad to see Robach continuing to raise awareness for breast cancer, and continuing to live life to the fullest, and especially so with her beloved partner, and former ABC colleague, T.J. Holmes.
Earlier this month she shared some happy photos of her and Holmes enjoying fall and college baseball at the University of Georgia.
“Goooooo Dawgs! What a homecoming this weekend…. back, to back, to back college football weekends = best fall ever!” she captioned the post.
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Amy Robach’s Breast Cancer Journey
Robach’s cancer journey began when she was encouraged by Robin Roberts during a segment on the morning show. Like Roberts, who also learned of her cancer diagnosis while undergoing a self-exam, Robach underwent a mammogram on the program to promote breast cancer awareness.
Her screening led to her diagnosis of stage 2 invasive breast cancer. She also learned cancer had spread to her sentinel lymph nodes. After her tumor was detected, she underwent a bilateral mastectomy (also called a double mastectomy), where both breasts were removed. Following the procedure, Robach underwent six months of chemotherapy. Luckily, her treatments helped her reach remission.
Robach also discussed a few of the trials and tribulations you undergo as you take on cancer.
Her cancer journey strengthened her compassion for others. She says she developed a new kind of compassion that wasn’t possible before her experience with breast cancer.
“Cancer is something that has changed my life forever, something that I will always live with,” Robach expressed at the time. “There’s anger at first because you’ve lost security, and you’ve never had it to begin with. None of us have security, but you are grieving this loss of security because we all feel like there’s tomorrow.”
“We all feel like there’s another day. When you get to something like this, you’re angry that you lost that. That’s been taken away from you. From that anger, I think, grew compassion and empathy,” she added.
She also considers that loss of security one of the gifts that cancer can bring, saying, “You truly can feel other people’s pain in a way that you couldn’t have before.”
Robach also discussed a few of the trials and tribulations you undergo as you take on cancer.
Her cancer journey strengthened her compassion for others. She says she developed a new kind of compassion that wasn’t possible before her experience with breast cancer.
“Cancer is something that has changed my life forever, something that I will always live with,” Robach expressed at the time. “There’s anger at first because you’ve lost security, and you’ve never had it to begin with. None of us have security, but you are grieving this loss of security because we all feel like there’s tomorrow.”
“We all feel like there’s another day. When you get to something like this, you’re angry that you lost that. That’s been taken away from you. From that anger, I think, grew compassion and empathy,” she added.
She also considers that loss of security one of the gifts that cancer can bring, saying, “You truly can feel other people’s pain in a way that you couldn’t have before.”
The Importance of Breast Cancer Screening
Screening for breast cancer is normally done through a mammogram, which looks for lumps in the breast tissue and signs of cancer.
While there is some disagreement about the exact age a woman should start getting mammograms, doctors generally agree it should happen in their 40s.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) suggests women should begin annual mammogram screenings for breast cancer at age 45 if they are at average risk for breast cancer.
However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now says that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives
WATCH: Mammograms are still the best tool for detecting breast cancer.
The ACS also advises:
- Women aged 40-44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year
- Women aged 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year
- Women aged 55 and older could also choose to continue yearly mammograms
For screening purposes, a woman is considered to be at average risk if she doesn’t have a personal history of breast cancer, a strong family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase risk of breast cancer such as a BRCA gene mutation or a medical history including chest radiation therapy before the age of 30.
Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.
Don’t delay speaking with your doctor to make sure you are staying on top of your breast health.
Understanding Provider Bias & Advocating for Your Health
While your doctor has undergone years of training and practice, she or he is ultimately still human and may come with their own set of biases that can impact how they treat patients.
To combat these biases and really the most out of your interactions with your doctor, you should provide her or him with plenty of information about your life and ask plenty of questions when things aren’t clear.
RELATED: Olivia Munn’s Doctor, Says She Was Called “Paranoid” & “Crazy” For Wanting a Double Mastectomy To Reduce Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence
To better understand how you should approach conversations with your doctor, we spoke with Dr. Dana Chase, gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology.
Avoiding Provider Bias – Is Your Doctor Understanding You?
According to Dr. Chase, physicians, like many of us, can be a bit biased when seeing patients. Dr. Chase makes clear that these biases are rarely sinister, but rather unconscious and more subtle. She says, “We have certain beliefs that we don’t know about. We might look, for example, at an older woman, and just by the way she looks we might make certain assumptions, and we might not even know that we’re making these assumptions.”
Sometimes, these assumptions can lead to differences in the care that doctors provide. That is the point at which you, the woman, should advocate for yourself and clear up any misconceptions the doctor may have, says Dr. Chase.
“Say things to your doctor like, ‘I may not seem healthy because I’m 92, but I want you to know that I play tennis three times a day,’ ” she explains.
This type of discourse can be really helpful when building a relationship with your physicians and even more important when it comes to creating a treatment plan.
“In order to avoid situations where potentially the doctor is making assumptions about you that you don’t even really know about, reminding yourself to tell the doctor who you are, to explain your life situation, I think is really important.”
It’s equally as important that you’re understanding your doctor as much as you want them to understand you.
“It’s never a bad thing to ask for something to be repeated, or to ask the doctors to explain it in different terms,” Dr. Chase adds.
So next time you go to your physician, we think you should feel empowered to speak up, both so she or he understands you and you understand them.
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Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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