Celebrating Treatment Milestones
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says his wife, Casey DeSantis, has finished chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer.
- While this is great news for the DeSantis family, the governor acknowledges that their battle is not over just yet; there is "more stuff to do," he says, but the "milestone" is definitely worth celebrating.
- Breast cancer mostly occurs in older women, but it is possible for women under the age of 45 like Casey DeSantis to be diagnosed. About 9% of all new breast cancer cases in the U.S. are found in women younger than 45.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced today that his wife, Casey DeSantis, has finished chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. The news was met with clapping and cheers from the crowd at his press conference.
Read MoreCelebrating Treatment Milestones
Florida's First Lady Casey DeSantis shared the good news on Twitter, thanking her husband for his support and remaining at her side throughout the diagnosis and treatment process.
Thank you for being by my side from the beginning, but especially yesterday as we celebrated my FINAL Chemo Treatment together. I'm grateful, very humbled and blessed. pic.twitter.com/cl42YBb0fl
Casey DeSantis (@FLCaseyDeSantis) January 20, 2022
"Thank you for being by my side from the beginning, but especially yesterday as we celebrated my FINAL Chemo Treatment together. I'm grateful, very humbled and blessed," she writes.
The governor's spokeswoman, Christina Pushaw, also shared the good news on Twitter, which has been met with an outpouring of support.
.@GovRonDeSantis just announced that @FLCaseyDeSantis completed her final chemo treatment yesterday and is doing well! Thanks everyone for your prayers â™¥ï¸ ðŸ™ðŸ¼
Christina Pushaw 🊠(@ChristinaPushaw) January 20, 2022
Florida Rep. Carlos Gimenez posted on Twitter: "Fantastic news that First Lady Casey DeSantis has completed her final round of chemotherapy! Her and Governor DeSantis have continued to lead our state by example, even in the face of personal difficulty. Lourdes and I will continue to pray for the DeSantis family."
Fantastic news that First Lady Casey DeSantis has completed her final round of chemotherapy!
Her and Governor DeSantis have continued to lead our state by example, even in the face of personal difficulty. Lourdes and I will continue to pray for the DeSantis family.
Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (@RepCarlos) January 20, 2022
Casey DeSantis' Breast Cancer Battle
"I am saddened to report that Florida's esteemed First Lady and my beloved wife has been diagnosed with breast cancer," Gov. DeSantis said in a prepared statement in October, when Casey’s diagnosis was first announced. "As the mother of three young children, Casey is the centerpiece of our family and has made an impact on the lives of countless Floridians through her initiatives as First Lady."
In December, Casey DeSantis spoke publicly for the first time about her diagnosis, revealing some new details about the timeline of her diagnosis.
She told a crowd gathered at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., that she did not experience any symptoms initially, but a vague sense of uneasiness drove her to schedule a visit with her OB-GYN.
Her doctor did not see any cause for concern, but Casey DeSantis could not shake her suspicion. One month later, she called again to request a mammogram. This time, her concerns were confirmed she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She ended her announcement with a message of hope: "Just never give up. Don't quit. Just keep fighting. And just because you get some bad news doesn't mean you need to crawl into a hole and a tunnel and pull the wool over your head get out and do as much as you humanly can and try to make a difference and do what you know in your heart is right."
When Should I Get a Mammogram?
Casey DeSantis is 41 years old. That is relatively young to receive a breast cancer diagnosis, considering organizations like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Cancer Society recommend women start getting yearly mammograms when they turn 45 years old. Women ages 45 to 54 should get a mammogram every year.
Breast cancer mostly occurs in older women, but it is possible for women under the age of 45 like Casey DeSantis to be diagnosed. About 9% of all new breast cancer cases in the U.S. are found in women younger than 45.
But in some ways, a diagnosis for a younger woman can often be even more devastating, Dr. Ann Partridge, an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, tells SurvivorNet during a previous interview. This is because the disease is likely to be a more aggressive form of the disease and at an advanced stage, as screening for younger women is not standard.
Aggressive Breast Cancer in Young Women
Dr. Connie Lehman, director of the breast imaging clinic at Mass General Hospital in Boston, tells SurvivorNet in a previous interview that it is very important for women to get a mammogram every year, especially if you have not yet gone through menopause.
"We know that cancers grow more rapidly in our younger patients, and having that annual mammogram can be life-saving," Lehman says. "After menopause, it may be perfectly acceptable to reduce that frequency to every two years."
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