Overcoming Life's Challenges
- Good Morning America host Robin Roberts, 63, is reveling in married life, and gave a recent update on her wife and longtime partner Amber Laign, 49, who completed radiation for breast cancer in July 2022, after initially suffering complications during chemotherapy.
- Roberts, who was promoting her new documentary The Harlem Hellfighters, which premiered Feb. 4 on the History Channel, also expressed how much being married means to them.
- Breast cancer treatment plans can vary depending on many factors. Some patients only have to have a handful of treatment sessions, while others may have a more extensive period of chemotherapy and radiation. Be sure to check out SurvivorNet’s in-depth guide for breast cancer patients, whether you have just been diagnosed, are going through treatment — or trying to stay ahead of a potential diagnosis.
“She is doing extremely well,” Roberts, who is also a breast cancer survivor, told Entertainment Tonight of Laign earlier this week. “The cancer is at bay, she’s recovering well and ready to move on to the next stage.”
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Amber Laign’s Breast Cancer Journey
Amber Laign was diagnosed with cancer in February of 2022. She had some complications with chemotherapy, which can be common, and had to pause treatment, which can be frightening for the person going through cancer and their loved ones.
Thankfully, Laign was able to resume treatment, complete chemotherapy and then complete radiation as well. It is unclear what Roberts means by the next phase or what, if any, treatment, she needs to continue, such as hormone therapy — but all seems like it’s going favorably. Recovering from cancer can take some time, physically and mentally, so that is a possibility as well that she is still navigating life after cancer.
Managing chemotherapy side effects
After announcing on GMA that she was taking time off to be there for Laign, Robin proudly showed Laign “doing her happy dance” in an endearing video post on Twitter. Cuing the much-needed celebration following, Roberts noted they were “dressed and ready to spend time” in their “happy place,” which is the Connecticut home that they share, which is also where they got married.
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Roberts initially faced her own diagnosis in 2007, then in 2012, learned she had myelodsyplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood and bone marrow disease, which required a bone marrow transplant.
“I went through it twice, barely shed a tear,” the journalist said in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres while Laign was in the thick of her treatment. “I’m a puddle every time I think about what Amber is going through. But she is being so courageous and is handling it extremely well.”
Roberts also noted their unique situation, since they’ve both played the role of caregiver. “I’m able to kind of give her a roadmap because I’ve gone through it, but she’s also given me a roadmap on how to be a caregiver.”
“And I didn’t realize how much I had blocked out during my journey,” she added, “and it was because of sweet Amber, because she protected me and navigated for me. So I’m doing the same thing for her.”
An Important Message for Caregivers
While it is undeniably difficult to be diagnosed with and treated for cancer, the family members and friends who care for cancer patients also face their own set of challenges.
“Caregiving is the most important job in the universe, because you are there through the highs and lows,” Julie Bulger, manager of patient and family-centered care at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, TN, tells SurvivorNet. “You are there to support your loved one, to manage all of the daily tasks as everything is changing in your life.”
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Caregiver burnout, stress, anger, fatigue, and illness that can come from putting another person’s needs ahead of your ownis real. It can sneak up on you if you don’t take care of yourself. “It is important to have some things that you can do outside of the focus of caring for somebody that you love with cancer,” Bulger says.
She suggests that you take a walk. Get a massage. Visit a support group for cancer caregivers, either online or in person. And see a therapist if you’re struggling to cope with all of your new responsibilities. Joining a support group and building your support team is often a very important strategy and can help prevent or reduce the risk of caregiver burnout.
Know that you are doing truly important work, and appreciate yourself for it. “There’s so much evidence that outcomes are better when somebody has an incredible caregiver by their side,” Bulger says. Research also finds that caregivers who take good care of themselves provide the best quality of care. “So you are helping your loved one in more ways than you know.”
What Does Breast Cancer Treatment Entail?
Breast cancer treatment plans can vary depending on the type and stage, whether it’s hormone-fueled or not. Some patients only have to have a handful of treatment sessions, and others may have a more extensive period of chemotherapy and radiation.
Here is an overview of ways your doctor may treat your breast cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy:
Surgery
Most women with breast cancer will have surgery at some point in their treatment. Depending on how far your cancer has spread and your personal preferences, you and your doctor may decide to:
- Remove just the cancer and an area of healthy tissue around it (lumpectomy)
- Remove one breast (mastectomy)
- Remove both breasts (double mastectomy)
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses strong drugs to kill cancer all over the body. You may get this treatment to shrink a tumor before surgery, afterward to get rid of any remaining cancer cells, or on its own if you can’t have surgery.
Whether or not to have chemotherapy can also be a choice, depending on a woman’s age, type of cancer, and stage.
Radiation Therapy
The use of high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells is also used after surgery to lower the chance that the cancer will come back after treatment. Many women undergo radiation as part of their treatment, especially if they opt for a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy.
SurvivorNet expert, oncologist Dr. Ann Partridge discusses the challenges of diagnosing and treating treating aggressive breast cancers in young women
Hormone Therapy
The hormones estrogen and progesterone help some breast cancers grow. Doctors refer to these types of cancers as hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers. Receptors are proteins on the surface of breast cells that receive messages from estrogen, progesterone, or both, telling them to grow. Treatments that block these hormones may help stop the tumor.
Testing the tumor sample from a biopsy helps to determine whether hormone therapies such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex) or anastrozole (Arimidex) might work against the cancer. Women with breast cancer that is fueled by estrogen may take one of these drugs as part of their treatment.
Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy
Immunotherapy and targeted therapies are newer forms of treatment. Immunotherapy boosts your body’s own immune response to help it stop the cancer.
As their name suggests, targeted therapies target certain substances that help the cancer grow. For example, drugs like trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta) treat breast cancers that have too much of a protein called HER2 on their surface.
Changes to Look Out For
In between mammograms, it’s important to be aware of any changes in or around your breasts.
Look for changes like:
- A new breast lump
- New swelling in one breast
- Changes in the nipple (such as puckering)
- Redness or flaking in the breast or nipple
- Discharge (including blood) from the nipple
- Pain in the breast
If you notice any of the above, be sure to call your doctor right away for an exam. Catching breast cancer early, like any cancer, is always optimal.
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