Body Positivity and Breast Cancer
- Clare Young was diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump in her breast that she thought was from her period and breastfeeding. Then, in an effort to raise money for a breast caner charity, she did a burlesque photoshoot proudly sporting her mastectomy scars.
- Breast cancer is a common cancer that has been the subject of much research, so there are many treatment options out there. Mammogram are a standard screening procedure for breast cancer, and self breast exams can save lives.
- 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 but earlier if they are at a higher risk. 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.
- Body positivity might not come easy for all cancer survivors. But getting to a point where you're embracing your body, like Young, can help you live life to the fullest.
Young was 39 when she noticed a lump “protruding from [her] skin” during a bath.
Read More“I had breast cancer, with an MRI showing it was invasive lobular carcinoma, a type of breast cancer that starts in the lobules (milk-producing glands) of the breast,” she said. “I thought of my husband Anthony and daughters Amelia, 10, and Eve, five. All I wanted was a future with them, a chance to see my girls grow up.
“So when I was told I needed a mastectomy, I was almost looking forward to it I just wanted the cancer gone.”
But that relief turned to worry prior to the operation when she read about other breast cancer survivors struggling to look at themselves in the mirror after having a mastectomy.
“I was worried that I would feel less feminine and unattractive,” she said. “So when I actually saw myself, I was pleasantly surprised. I felt good, even sexy!
“Seeing myself just proved to me how far I'd come and that I was still the same person I was before. More importantly, I was alive.”
When she returned home after the surgery, she wasted no time showing the aftermath to her husband and children.
“I didn't want our daughters to be scared, so chose to be open and upfront with them. 'You look beautiful, Mummy,' they said,” she explained. “Their words meant everything.”
Now, on the other side of treatment that included a second operation for an axillary node clearance, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Young continues to take a hormone therapy drug called tamoxifen but she’s been consistently “in the clear.”
And in gratitude to the charity Breast Cancer Now for providing her support during her cancer journey, Young decided to do a burlesque photoshoot as a fundraiser.
“As I posed for the photographer, hand on hip, I felt confident, liberated and sexy,” she said. “But it wasn't just any photoshoot, I was topless revealing the results of my mastectomy I'd had just three months earlier.
“I was a little nervous taking my clothes off in front of a stranger, but I thought: If I've got this far, I can do anything after all, nothing could be as scary as having cancer.”
After posting some to social media, Young got a “huge, positive response with everyone saying how fantastic [she] looked.”
“It was just the boost I needed and made me love myself even more,” she said. “I've decided to get the image of that photo tattooed on the top of my right arm, to serve as a reminder that it's possible to be amazing and sexy after breast cancer.
“It may sound mad, but cancer has changed my life for the better. Once quite a shy person, I'm now confident, walk with purpose and love my body more than ever before… Of course, I would never choose to have the disease, but my diagnosis has taught me how to live my life really live it and I'll always be grateful for that.”
Understanding Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a common cancer that has been the subject of much research. Many women develop breast cancer every year, but men can develop this cancer too though it is much more rare, in part, due to the simple fact that they have less breast tissue.
Signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include:
- A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue
- Change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast
- Changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling
- A newly inverted nipple
- Peeling, scaling, crusting or flaking of the pigmented area of skin surrounding the nipple (areola) or breast skin
- Redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange
It's important to keep an eye out for these symptoms while remembering that having one or many of them does not necessarily mean you have breast cancer. Regardless, you should always speak with a doctor promptly if anything ever feels off or you're experiencing one or more of the signs listed above. You never know when speaking up about your health can lead to a very important diagnosis.
Risk Factors for Breast Cancer
There are many treatment options for people with this disease, but treatment depends greatly on the specifics of each case. Identifying these specifics means looking into whether the cancerous cells have certain receptors. These receptors the estrogen receptor, the progesterone receptor and the HER2 receptor can help identify the unique features of the cancer and help personalize treatment.
"These receptors, I like to imagine them like little hands on the outside of the cell, they can grab hold of what we call ligands, and these ligands are essentially the hormones that may be circulating in the bloodstream that can then be pulled into this cancer cell and used as a fertilizer, as growth support for the cells," Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet.
The Unique Features of Breast Cancer: Deciding the Right Course of Treatment
One example of a type of ligand that can stimulate a cancer cell is the hormone estrogen, hence why an estrogen receptor positive breast cancer will grow when stimulated by estrogen. For these cases, your doctor may offer treatment that specifically targets the estrogen receptor. But for HER2 positive breast cancers, therapies that uniquely target the HER2 receptor may be the most beneficial.
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.
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 should begin screening earlier.
When Should I Get a Mammogram?
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.
"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."
It's also important to be on top of self breast exams. If you ever feel a lump in your breast, you should be vigilant and speak with your doctor right away. Voicing your concerns as soon as you have them can lead to earlier cancer detection which, in turn, can lead to better outcomes.
Body Positivity and Cancer
Clare Young is a cancer survivor brimming with body positivity. And she believes confidence should come from within. Other cancer survivors, like Ann Caruso, share a similar perspective.
Caruso had 12 surgeries to treat her breast cancer and told SurvivorNet that all of the change really affected the way she saw her body.
"You're not the same carefree person that you once were, and it was very hard for me to look at myself every day," Caruso said in a previous interview with SurvivorNet. "It was like I was a totally different person and didn't fit into any of my clothes for so long."
Celebrity Stylist Ann Caruso on Beauty and Femininity After Cancer
"You're not the same carefree person that you once were, and it was very hard for me to look at myself every day," Caruso said in a previous interview with SurvivorNet. "It was like I was a totally different person and didn't fit into any of my clothes for so long."
But the celebrity stylist has learned a whole lot about femininity and body image since beating breast cancer. She hopes to impart her knowledge upon others dealing with similar struggles.
"Femininity is a state of mind," Caruso said. "And I think that's something that we have to remind ourselves."
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