CNN Anchor & Breast Cancer Survivor Sara Sidner, 54, Admits To Being ‘Humbled To My Lowest’ After Recent Health Scare

The 54-year-old co-anchor of CNN News Central’s morning edition explained in a video clip, “So for the last several weeks, after my PET scan, I thought that I had cancer all over my body. My lymph nodes lit up in the PET scan, in my bones, they lit up under my liver, it lit up in my hip, in my vertebrae in my neck.

“And I was terrified because of course, you start looking up the statistics and looking up the chances of survival, and it was like the possibility is that I had five years or less. Then I got a biopsy.”

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Sidner then described feeling overwhelmed, questioning how she had suddenly ended up facing cancer again.

“And my immediate feeling was, I don’t want to tell people, especially not the people who love me and who I love. But I had to, obviously. So I did, and we cried a lot in the weeks that we waited for tests to come back, the biopsy, blood tests, and things became very difficult,” Sidner continued.

“And yes, I put on a brave face while I was working, but I simply could not articulate and tell y’all what was happening because partly I felt like I had let you down and let my family and friends down.”

However, she was so relieved and grateful to learn that the followup testing she underwent were negative.

“I have been humbled to my lowest, my lowest possible place,” an emotional Sidner added. “I hope that we together can figure out the absolute best way to live your life so that you feel joy every day.”

It’s important to note that after finishing treatment for stage 3 breast cancer, follow-up care continues indefinitely to watch for recurrence. According to American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) guidelines, physical exams are recommended every 3 to 6 months for the first 3 years, every 6 to 12 months for years 4 and 5, and annually after that.

For those with remaining breast tissue, a post-treatment mammogram is recommended 1 year after the initial diagnostic mammogram (and at least 6 months after radiation), followed by yearly mammograms. MRI may be added for some patients based on individual risk.

Monitoring After Treatment for Breast Cancer

Sidner’s scan stress brings attention to “scan-xiety,” or anxiety that people living with cancer (or survivors) sometimes feel when thinking about their next scans. It’s a major stressor for so many people. Even in remission, many people spend countless hours worrying that their disease will return. And while it’s important to be realistic about these possibilities, it’s also important to control stress and not let it take hold of your life.

One fan commented on Sidner’s post writing, “Scanxiety sucks!!! Sara, ooo wee girl, you are taking me through this with you today. It’s a rollercoaster… I have a note next to my bed…’Not Brave Today. That’s Okay.’

“I have marveled at you even being able to work! You are doing what you can…You don’t live for us, you live for you! You don’t have to be strong for us!”

Another commented, “FANTASTIC!!! Sara, thank you for being so generous and kind to include the greater community in your journey. That’s a powerful gift from a person with your huge platform. I am strengthened and encouraged by you.

“One never knows when we will need to confront challenges that makes us tremble, cry out and bend the knee. But your transparency and real time dialogue makes us all feel less alone. Respect and love for teaching us how to move forward, gain strength and make a better blueprint for all our journeys, as we continue our missions and adventures here on Earth.”

RELATED: Keep Breast Cancer From Coming Back: You Have The Power To Help Define Your Future

A third fan commented, “It is pure agony waiting for those test results and terrifying but so happy you got good news.”

“Scan anxiety is unbelievably stressful,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.

“Probably one of the best antidotes that I think psychology can offer patients is to experience flow.”

How to Cope With ‘Scan Anxiety’ By Using ‘Flow’

She noted that “flow” is when you become so absorbed in something you enjoy that you lose track of time.

“How can we experience flow in our daily lives? It’s usually in some form of a hobby something we just do because we love doing it,” Dr. Boardman said.

“I really encourage patients to find and experience something that they can do that gives them flow. It might be baking, it might be gardening, it might even be doing some housework. They are so immersed in that experience that they’re not thinking about anything else.”

Dr. Boardman said that getting into the “flow” mindset has been proven to help with the stress and anxiety so many people with living cancer deal with.

Sara Sidner’s Breast Cancer Journey

While reporting on the conflict in Israel last fall, Sidner learned that she would need a biopsy after a routine mammogram raised concerns. The biopsy revealed a lump that was ultimately diagnosed as stage 3 breast cancer.

Following her diagnosis, Sidner began treatment with chemotherapy and decided to approach her cancer journey with strength and determination.

Her treatment included intense chemotherapy, known for fatigue, anemia, neuropathy, and hair loss.

Sidner also completed 16 rounds of chemo, a double mastectomy [surgical removal of both breasts], and 25 rounds of radiation.

She announced being in remission from stage 3 breast cancer this year.

Understanding PET/CT Scans & What To Expect

Imaging scans are like a window inside your body. They’re an important tool to help your doctor diagnose your cancer, see how far it has spread, decide on the best treatment, and find out if the cancer has come back after treatment.

Dr. Jakub Svoboda, medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet, that PET/CT scans are “most advanced technology we’ve been using for the past 10-plus years.”

If your doctor tells you that you need one of these tests, here’s what you need to know, and what you can expect.

PET stands for “positron emission tomography.” It’s a type of nuclear imaging scan that uses small (and safe) amounts of a radioactive material called a radiotracer and a computer to look for cancer inside your body. One commonly used radiotracer is F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose, or FDG, which is similar to glucose (sugar). The tracer collects in the cancer, making it show up on a computer screen.

Because a PET scan can identify changes in your body at the molecular level, it can find cancer that’s not visible on other types of imaging tests. That gives PET scans “advantages over traditional anatomic imaging like CT scans, x-rays, or ultrasounds,” Dr. Svoboda explained.

CT is short for “computed tomography.” It takes a series of x-rays from different angles and combines them using a computer into three-dimensional cross-sectional images of your bones and other tissues inside your body.

A PET/CT scan combines both of these tests into one machine to streamline the process. “Basically you’re getting two scans two for one,” Dr. Svoboda said.

Having a PET/CT Scan? Here’s What to Expect

Your doctor will probably tell you to fast for several hours before the scan. Eating can affect the distribution of the PET tracer around your body, and it could compromise the quality of the scan. You’ll also want to avoid sugary drinks, but you can have water. If you have diabetes, ask your doctor for special instructions about eating and drinking.

Metal objects, such as jewelry, eyeglasses, hearing aids, and hairpins could interfere with the scan. The technician might ask you to remove them before the test.

A technician will first give you an injection of the radioactive tracer. It takes about 60 minutes for the tracer to travel throughout your body and collect in the cancer. Then you’ll be ready to start the scan.

You’ll lie on a table, which slides into a donut-shaped hole in the center of a large machine. The technologist will sit in a separate room. They will be able to hear and talk to you throughout the procedure.

The scan shouldn’t cause you any pain, with the exception of the prick needed to inject the radiotracer. If you’re claustrophobic, you might feel a little uncomfortable in the tube. Ask your doctor ahead of time if there’s anything you can do to relax during the test. You’ll need to stay still during the 30-minute test to get a clear image.

Expect to be at the imaging center for about two hours in total.

What The Scan Will Show

The advantage to a PET/CT scan is that your doctor will not only be able to see your organs and tissues, for example whether your spleen or lymph nodes are enlarged, but also areas of cancer, Dr. Svoboda explained further. Cancer cells are more metabolically active hungrier than healthy cells — so they gobble up glucose and light up on the scan.

A radiologist or other nuclear medicine specialist will read your scan and send a report to your doctor. Once your results are in, ask your doctor what they mean, how your treatment might change, and what outlook you can expect.

The one downside to the PET/CT scan is that it can produce a false-positive result, meaning that the test shows you have cancer when you don’t. The risk of having a false positive result is that you could get additional treatments that you don’t actually need, with the potential side effects that come with those treatments. “The issue of false positives definitely is one of the shortcomings of this technology,” Dr. Svoboda said.

“The PET/CT is great, but it doesn’t have the perfect ability to distinguish between malignancy [cancer] or inflammation,” he adds. And if you happen to see your radiology report and there is a questionable area, it could provoke a lot of anxiety. That lymph node could be lymphoma, but it also could be inflammation. “That makes it very scary for patients to read,” Dr. Svoboda says.

Pros and Cons of the PET/CT Scan

This is where your doctor’s expertise comes in. Doctors can look for other clues for example, whether you’ve recently gotten over a cold to determine whether the activity on your scan is cancer, or something benign, such as inflammation from an infection.

How to Make Sense of Your Test Results

The PET/CT scan is a good technology, but it isn’t perfect. If you’re concerned about your test results, or something pops up on your scan that worries you, have a discussion about it with the doctor who treats your cancer.

You can also seek out a second opinion from an oncologist at another cancer center before making any changes to your treatment plan.

All About Breast Cancer Screenings

The medical community has a consensus that women between 45 and 54 have annual mammograms. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying 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: Screening for Breast Cancer

For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.

Women who have a strong family history of breast cancer, have dense breasts, have a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before age 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.

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.

Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening. 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.

Although breast cancer can happen to anyone, certain factors can increase a person’s risk of getting the disease. The known risk factors for breast cancer include:

• Older age
• Having a gene mutation such as the BRCA1 or BRCA2
• Added exposure to estrogen
• Having children after the age of 30
• Exposure to radiation early in life
• Family history of the disease

About ten percent of breast cancers are hereditary, Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, Director of the High-Risk Cancer Program at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet.

“We encourage only those who have a family history to really get [genetic testing],” Dr. Ginsburg previously told SurvivorNet.

“I would say that if you have anyone in your family who was diagnosed with a very rare cancer. Or if you have a strong family history of one or two kinds of cancer, particularly breast and ovarian, but also colon, rectal, uterine, and ovarian cancer, that goes together in another cancer syndrome called the Lynch Syndrome,” Dr. Ginsburg adds.

Questions To Ask Your Doctor

If you have a breast cancer screening coming up or have recently had one, you may have questions you want answered. SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool “My Health Questions” is designed specifically for patients and caregivers.

WATCH: How One Cancer Survivor and Her Sister Used “My Health Questions” to Navigate Care

This powerful resource is embedded across the SurvivorNet website and delivers structured responses grounded in clinical guidelines and medically reviewed research to help people better understand their treatment options and feel more confident navigating care.

My Health Questions can also help patients come up with useful questions ahead of their next appointment.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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