An Early Pioneer for the Cancer Community
- GMA anchor Robin Roberts, 61, graces the cover of PEOPLE magazine’s Gay Pride issue this week, and though she is so appreciative to be recognized as a role model, the journalist says she’s much more comfortable being the interviewer than the interviewee.
- The two-time survivor describes how she “became the story” when she bravely chose to go public with her breast cancer battle live on-air in 2007. At that time, many news personalities and celebrities chose to be more private, therefore Roberts certain paved the way as an earlier pioneer of breast cancer advocacy.
- Roberts also beat Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a rare type of blood cancer. Chemotherapy for breast cancer could have likely contributed to Roberts' secondary cancer. Although it is rare, it is one of the risks of treatment. MDS caused by cancer treatment is called "secondary MDS" or "treatment-related MDS."
The breast cancer survivor, whose partner Amber Laign, 47, is now battling the same disease, addressed her bold decision, especially at the time, to announce her cancer diagnosis. Roberts also beat a secondary cancer called myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare type of blood cancer.
Read MoreRobin Roberts is opening up about her decision to publicly come out in 2013, surviving both breast cancer and a rare blood and bone marrow disease, and how proud she is to have inspired activism in others. Watch the full PeopleTV special: https://t.co/tZQ4igjBaR pic.twitter.com/TfejQBcJke
People (@people) June 8, 2022
As a face for the gay community, for Black women (and all women), and for cancer survivors, the highly respected Roberts has quite a triple-threat of activism going on! Additionally, she is proud to inspire activism in others.
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Despite the fact that Roberts is clearly viewed as an activist, she humbly insists that she's not (we beg to differ).
"I'm not an activist. I say God bless the activists because what they do is so important," she said. "But I think I've spawned activism in people. I like that. And we can do it without beating our chests and getting on a soapbox and getting in someone's face and yelling at them about how they should be."
"By being our authentic selves, others can be motivated,” she added. “They may even rally around it."
Robin’s Cancer Battle
As a devout Christian who spreads positive messages on the daily via social media videos, Roberts has been open in saying that her faith got her through both of her cancer battles.
Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer after discovering a lump while she was doing a self-exam on her breasts, which was for a news segment.
"At first I thought, 'This can't be. I am a young, healthy woman,'" Roberts said, which tends to echo through many women's heads following a diagnosis.
The journalist's early detection was a critical factor in her survival. She treated her breast cancer with surgery, one of several treatment options for this disease, which can also be treated with radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy.
An overview of breast cancer treatment
In addition to battling breast cancer, four years later, in 2012l, Roberts was diagnosed with MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndrome). Roberts had to undergo a bone marrow transplant and luckily beat this rare type of blood cancer.
What Is MDS?
MDS is a variety of bone marrow disorders that look similar: under a microscope, the bone marrow cells look like cancer, and genetically may have alterations that are known to cause MDS. Symptoms of MDS include frequent infections, fatigue or shortness of breath (anemia), or easy bleeding/bruising. These symptoms are the result of the bone marrow not being able to produce enough healthy, functional blood cells.
Chemotherapy for breast cancer could have likely contributed to Roberts' secondary cancer. Although it is rare, it is one of the risks of treatment. MDS caused by cancer treatment is called "secondary MDS" or "treatment-related MDS."
Dr. Jun Choi, a hematologist/oncologist at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center, Dr. Jun Choi, a hematologist/oncologist at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center, says that “MDS affects all types of blood cells and ultimately it is a considered a bone marrow failure disorder."
Learning More About Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)
"For the workup of MDS, you start with a regular blood check and you confirm that someone has low blood cells," Dr. Choi explains to SurvivorNet. "And then when the suspicion for MDS is high, the ultimate gold standard diagnostic test is a bone marrow biopsy. And that is because the bone marrow is where all the blood cells are made. And we want to confirm that there is abnormal cells in the bone marrow."
A bone marrow biopsy can confirm MDS. It can also provide other details on your cancer.
Related: How Does A Bone Marrow Transplant Treat MDS?
"The biopsy has to be reviewed by the pathologist to see if there is what's called dysplasia in the blood cells. Dysplasia is abnormal-looking young blood cells that we also want to send the bone marrow sample to assess for any genetic changes," Dr. Choi says. "And whether there is any abnormal changes in your chromosome, in the blood cells inside the bone marrow. And based on those, we can categorize the MDS into different categories, different types, and ultimately they can also help us guide the treatments and the prognosis as well."
Although risks and complications can happen with treatment, many patients feel that is is highly better than the alternativeand that the benefits outweigh potential side effect and future outcomes. So, while treatment may feel like your ultimate foe while going through it, just keep reminding yourself that there is light at the end of the tunnel, it is most likely only a temporary situation, and never give up hope.
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