A Young Mother's Warning About Dismissing New Symptoms
- April Addison, of Sugar Hill, Georgia, was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer just one day after giving birth to her second son at age 32.
- There are several different treatment options available to women with early-stage breast cancer.
- The treatment choice depends on several factors, including if and how much the cancer has spread, a woman's overall health, and the biology of the tumor.
- In many cases, doctors will decide what additional treatment may be needed after performing surgery to remove the cancer.
The mom of three-year-old Aiden and six-month-old Ashton, was pregnant with her second son when she first noticed the unusual growth in her breast in the spring of 2022.
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It wasn’t until the day after she gave birth to Ashton via caesarian section that she received her cancer diagnosis. After having her first mammogram and breast MRI, Addison was told she had stage two breast cancer on June 28, 2022.
At the time, Addison’s oncologist and the president of Atlanta Cancer Care, Dr. Amelia Zelnak, informed the mom that she would need to start treatment within a few weeks and that treatment would likely include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
Dr. Zelnak explained, “She chose to get the chemotherapy first, which we do oftentimes in younger women where we know that chemotherapy absolutely needs to be done.”

“So, instead of rushing into, ‘I just had this baby, and now I have to make a major decision in the next week or two about what type of surgery I want to have,’ she had four months to consider her options about how to best proceed.”
Addison ultimately decided to undergo a bilateral mastectomysurgery to remove both breastsand will start radiation therapy once she recovers from the surgery.
She is now sharing her story with the goal of spreading awareness to young or pregnant women who may not be worried about breast cancer.
“Never think that you’re too young. Never think that, because you don’t have a family history of it, that it can’t happen to you. Because I’m a perfect example of how it can,” Addison urges.

“If you feel something, you know, speak up. You need to say something. If you see something, if you see changes or, you know, not right in your body, you need to speak up and say something.”
Breast Cancer Staging
When your doctor is determining the treatment for your particular cancer there are many considerations that factor into the decision. Hormones, biology, and genetics will all play a role in determining your treatment. There are many options your doctor can choose at every stage of breast cancer. Before a specific route can be decided on, however, the cancer stage must be determined.
Stage Zero Stage zero breast cancer, also known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), means that the cancer is confined to the inside of the milk duct, and has not spread through the walls into the nearby tissue. DCIS is considered a non-invasive cancer. Some doctors don't even consider it a cancer, and would prefer to take a watch-and-wait approach over treatment. Others may recommend the surgery route, which usually involves a lumpectomy, and sometimes radiation as well.
Stage One Stage one breast cancers are relatively small; they either have not spread to the lymph nodes or only a small area of cancer has spread to the sentinel lymph node. Treatment will likely be surgery followed by radiation, along with chemotherapy or some other therapy. For women whose breast cancer is hormone receptor positive, doctors will also recommend hormone therapy. For HER2 positive cancers the drug Herceptin will be recommended.
Stage Two Stage two breast cancers are either larger than stage one tumors, or have moved to a few nearby lymph nodes. Treatment will likely be some combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. If chemotherapy is also needed after surgery, the radiation is delayed until the chemo is done. The same approach is taken to hormone receptor and HER2 positive as stage one.
What Is Stage 2 Breast Cancer?
Stage Three Stage three breast cancer typically refers to a relatively large tumor, about 2 inches across, that has invaded nearby muscle or skin. Chemotherapy is usually given before surgery. For HER2 positive and hormone positive tumors hormone therapy is given after surgery. Radiation is often needed after surgery. Another approach for stage III patients is having surgery first, usually a mastectomy. In this case surgery is followed by radiation, additional chemotherapy and hormone therapy for appropriate patients.
Stage Four Stage four (or metastatic) breast cancer means the cancer has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes to distant parts of the body. While there is no cure for metastatic breast cancer, doctors have a lot of options when it comes to treating advanced disease. The main treatment for stage four is drug therapy including hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted drugs. Radiation and surgery maybe used but in this case it's to prevent or treat symptoms or complications.
How to Perform Self Breast Exams
Getting to know how your breasts look and feel may be one of the best ways to recognize when something is not quite right. "When we think about breast cancer prevention and awareness, the first step is that women need to feel comfortable with their breast and know what their breasts feel like normally," says Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and an advisor to SurvivorNet. Here's how, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation:
- While standing straight in front of a mirror, place your hands on your hips and look at your breasts for any swelling, bulging, changes in shape of breast or nipple (inverted), redness, rashes, or any fluid leaking. Then do the same with your arms in the air.
- Next, while lying down, use your right hand to examine your left breast and vice versa, while using your first three fingers to apply pressure. Ensure you cover the entire breast area, from your collarbone to below your ribcage and from your armpit to your cleavage area. Do the same self-exam standing or sitting up. Be sure to use light to medium pressure for the middle breast area and firmer pressure when feeling deep breast tissue.
Once you get the hang of it, Dr. Comen recommends you do it once a month after your period. However, it should be emphasized that breast self-examination is NOT a replacement for mammography.
Aggressive Breast Cancer in Young Women
Symptoms of Breast Cancer
Being aware of how your breasts normally look and feel is an important factor when it comes to breast cancer detection. Doing regular self-exams is one way to familiarize yourself with how your breasts normally feel so that you will be able to identify anything out of the ordinary like a lump or hard mass.
Below are some other symptoms to look out for:
- New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
- Any change in the size or shape of the breast
- Swelling on all or part of the breast
- Skin dimpling or peeling
- Breast or nipple pain
- Nipple turning inward
- Redness or scaliness of breast or nipple skin
- Nipple discharge (not associated with breastfeeding)
Of course, these symptoms can be due to things other than cancer. For example, a lot of women experience breast tenderness during certain times in their menstrual cycles. If you're worried talk to your doctor about it. They may want to perform an exam, or even schedule a mammogram just to be safe.
The Importance of Breast Cancer Screening
Screening for breast cancer is typically done via mammogram, which looks for lumps in the breast tissue and signs of cancer. The American Cancer Society (ACS) says women should begin yearly mammogram screening for breast cancer at age 45 if they are at average risk for breast cancer. The ACS also says those aged 40-44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year, and women age 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year, or they can choose to continue yearly mammograms.
Getting To Know Your Breasts With Self-Exams
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.
Beyond genetics, family history and experience with radiation therapy, 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 may need to begin screening earlier.
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Connie Lehman, chief of the Breast Imaging Division at Massachusetts General Hospital, said people who hadn't reached menopause yet should prioritize getting a mammogram every year.
When Should I Get a Mammogram?
"We know that cancers grow more rapidly in our younger patients, and having that annual mammogram can be lifesaving," Dr. Lehman said. "After menopause, it may be perfectly acceptable to reduce that frequency to every two years. But what I'm most concerned about is the women who haven't been in for a mammogram for two, three or four years, those women that have never had a mammogram. We all agree regular screening mammography saves lives."
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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