Published Jan 7, 2022

Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, 41, Hopes To Be ‘Cancer Free’ In 2022; Setting Goals Can Be a Huge Help During Treatment

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Casey DeSantis' Goal

Florida’s first lady Casey DeSantis, 41, hopes to enter remission in 2022 from breast cancer. She’s been battling the disease since October 2021.
DeSantis has become an advocate for people to prioritize annual cancer screenings. Mammograms are the best tool in detecting signs of breast cancer and catching it early.
Mindset plays an important role in helping people push through treatment; this can include a positive attitude and setting personal goals.

Florida’s first lady Casey DeSantis, 41, is already setting goals for the new year, and one of them is extremely important. She has been battling breast cancer since October, but hopes that she’ll be able to enter remission this year. For many people battling cancer, setting personal goals can be the perfect motivation to keep pushing through treatment.

DeSantis announced her breast cancer diagnosis in October 2021. She didn’t experience any common symptoms associated with the disease, but described feeling an unexplained “uneasiness” which prompted her to visit her OB-GYN. Although her doctors initially reassured her that nothing was wrong, she wasn’t convinced and pushed to for a mammogram. Her instinct paid off, and the screening confirmed that she had breast cancer. The family have kept personal details of DeSantis’ ongoing cancer battle relatively private, as it’s a personal impact on everyone.

"We've asked, talked amongst ourselves about, 'OK, she's a public figure and a lot of people care about her and a lot of people have been praying for her,'" Governor DeSantis said. "At the same time, you know, it's a medical issue for the family, which it's generally a private thing."

It hasn’t been disclosed the treatment path DeSantis has been taking to tackle her breast cancer diagnosis, but she’s already looking forward to entering remission in 2022. “Our view is that 2022 will be the year where we can say that she is cancer-free, and that'll be something that'll be really important,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a news conference.

Even though DeSantis has stepped back from the spotlight to focus on her treatment, she’s become an advocate for early cancer screenings in order to stress how important they are in catching signs of the disease early. "It can happen to you. It can happen to anybody and you save yourself so much pain and anguish if you go in early and you get those screenings," DeSantis said in previous statement.

Dr. Freya Schnabel explains the options for those with a high risk of developing breast cancer

Breast Cancer: Screening

When it comes to breast cancer screening, mammograms are the best tools in detecting signs of the disease and catching it early. Although it can be a nerve-racking experience for some women, the process itself only takes a few minutes and the long-term benefits can outweigh the slight discomfort.

Generally, current guidelines recommend women start scheduling annual mammogramsstarting at 45-years-old, and continue until they're 54. After that, women can either choose to continue scheduling mammograms every year or choose to have them every two years. However, for women who are considered "high-risk," it's suggested they start screening earlier. The "high risk" category refers to women who have had a first-degree relative (like their mother) diagnosed with breast cancer, women who have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, or those who have had radiation on their chest in the past. For those who fit into this category it's recommended mammograms are scheduled starting at 30-years-old.

"If you haven't gone through menopause yet, I think it's very important that you have a mammogram every year," Dr. Connie Lehman, Chief of the Breast Imaging Division at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, previously told SurvivorNet. "After menopause, it may be perfectly acceptable to reduce that frequency to every two years. We all agree regular screening mammography saves lives. I want to be completely clear. If you are between 50 and 74 and you have not had a mammogram in the last two years, you are overdue. Please get a mammogram."

Dr. Connie Lehman explains when women should start scheduling mammograms

Setting Goals Make a Difference

When it comes to batting cancer, mindset plays a huge role. DeSantis certainly has the right approach in setting personal goals for herself, such as being “cancer free,” as it can help motivate her to continue pushing through treatment. Experts say that a determined mindset as well as goal-setting can help guide patients to more successful treatment outcomes, and also help them recover more easily.

"We call it 'eye of the tiger,'" Dr. Sid Ganguly, Deputy Director of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics at the University of Kansas Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet. "You have to have the eye of the tiger to go through this grueling process that is necessary these days to get rid of these virulent and aggressive cancers."

This 'eye of the tiger' mentality not only refers to someone's attitude; it also includes diet and exercise. By incorporating all three of these factors, it can help patients keep up their health and reach their goals. "A good positive mind increases our interleukins, our immune system," Dr. Ganguly said.

So, whether it's getting through cancer treatment or focusing on entering remission, it’s important to focus on mindset and setting goals in order to inspire you to work hard and keep pushing through.

Dr. Sid Ganguly explains how the “eye of the tiger” mindset helps both patients and survivors

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