An Incredible Panel Of Breast Cancer Thrivers
- As the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference brought together 50,000 people to discuss cancer research and progress last weekend, SurvivorNet hosted an meeting of incredible breast cancer survivors who spoke about the reality of facing the disease in its earlier stages— and moving on to live a full life after.
- We touched on topics like what it’s like to undergo innovative treatments to prevent recurrence, the special moments and joys happening in their lives now, the complexities around relationships and body image during the cancer journey, and so much more.
- A key takeaway from this extraordinary panel of survivors is to look for ways to find joy in the moment, even after you’ve been so much
- Empowerment to make choices about all aspects of care, including whether to take medicines to ward off cancer coming back, is a huge topic for the community.
These incredible women are finding a way to move through treatment, create joy, find love again, and define their own future.
Read MoreKelsie emphasizes that even on the hardest treatment days, it’s vital for patients to hold onto the belief that life after cancer is real and worth fighting for. For her, that sense of light and possibility returned after completing more than five years on hormone blockers—a milestone that marked the beginning of a new chapter.
WATCH: How Other Women Are Finding Strength & Making a New Life After Treatment
“I felt like I was returning to my most central self without having my brain chemistry altered, basically,” she says. “And so it’s a real thing, and I’m just really thankful for my friends and my family who were by my side, even in those days when I’m on the bathroom floor crying, never sure if I will be able to see the light again.”
Life After A Breast Cancer Diagnosis
The Reality Of Making Treatment Choices
Another topic the panel touched on is making difficult treatment decisions and the options for preventing cancer from coming back. With breast cancer, it’s not easy deciding the type of surgery you want to undergo — and if you should opt for reconstruction, go flat, etc.
“I think the one thing I didn’t share … is how difficult the decisions are that you have to make when it comes to your body,” survivor and panelist Deb Song says.
For a number of women we spoke to who had earlier-stage breast cancer, the decision to undergo active treatment to keep cancer from coming back has been a big part of the journey. Some of these women have breast cancer powered by hormones, but not also the HER2 protein, as a feature of their cancer. For patients with this subtype of cancer, there is an important new range of medicines called CDK 4/6 Inhibitors that are helping improve the odds that breast cancer will not recur.
Content independently created by SurvivorNet with support from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.
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