“At least this way we are doing it together,” says Margaret Pearce, 44, who is staying positive despite she and her mother both battling breast cancer.
Pearce and her mother, Christine, 69, received shocking news that they had both been diagnosed with grade 3 breast cancer after doctors found lumps in their chest. Following the diagnosis, both Pearce and her mother have been going through chemotherapy treatments, and while this is difficult, Pearce admits that she doesn’t feel lonely during this experience with her mother by her side.
Read More“We said ‘what has to be has to be,'” Christine said. “It took a while for it to sink in, it was hard. It still is hard but you come to terms with it.”
Breast cancer survivor Melissa Berry says she and her daughter’s bond grew stronger during treatment
The Importance Of Family Support During Cancer Treatment
Following a cancer diagnosis, it’s crucial that patients feel supported by loved ones especially from family members. This was the case for Brittney Beadle, who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at 18 years old. When her hair started to fall out after she began treatment, she figured she'd cut her losses and shave her hair off. To show their support, her family decided to shave their heads along with her.
Related: Facing Stage 4 Lung Cancer as a Mother: My Daughters Are My Strength
"Throughout this entire journey my mom was always there for me … when my hair started falling out, and I said 'Mom, we need to shave my hair,' she took the buzzer and she shaved her head with me," Brittney tells SurvivorNet. Shortly after, her brother decided to get on board with a buzz cut as well. "We were just a family of shaved heads.”
Genetic Testing For Breast Cancer
Genetic testing can be extremely beneficial for women to assess their risk of breast cancer, and whether it’s hereditary. For some patients, testing for a hereditary cause of cancer may be appropriate. This means determining whether you inherited an increased risk of cancer from your mother's or your father's side of the family. Your doctor will discuss your family history of cancer with you in the context of the type of tumor you have and your age at diagnosis. Hereditary genetic testing is usually done with a blood or saliva test.
Related: New Research Claims All Breast Cancer Patients Should Get Genetic TestingIs It True?
Amy Armstrong is not only a breast cancer survivor, but she has a long history of stomach cancer in her family. While speaking to SurvivorNet, she, her brother, and her mother talked about the importance of genetic testing for high-risk families.
"[My mom] uncovered that she had a very rare stomach cancer gene called CDH1," Amy said. "If you have this gene, not only is it incredibly rare, but you're also confronted [with] making a pretty big decision to avoid getting stomach cancer. You have to have a prophylactic gastrectomy. When my mom found out that she had the gene, it had a domino effect for not only her siblings to be tested for the gene, but also her children and 3 out of 4 of us, my siblings, tested positive for the gene."
The Armstrong Family explains their genetic risk of stomach cancer, and why testing is important
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