Shannen's Fresh Start
- Actress Shannen Doherty shared a picture of her Christmas tree on Instagram and bid the tree farewell.
- The actress has been bravely battling metastatic breast cancer in the public eye since February 2020, when she shared her diagnosis.
- For people battling cancer during COVID-19, it’s important to exercise extra safety precautions.
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Battling Breast Cancer During COVID-19
Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and treated it with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. And in 2018, Doherty announced she was in remission. However, in February 2020, the actress shared that her breast cancer had returned, and this time it had spread to other parts of her body.
For people like Doherty who are battling breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are extra stressors apart from cancer and cancer treatment. Those who are fighting cancer right now must be extra cautious and practice safety measures against COVID-19 because some cancer treatments may leave patients in an immunocompromised state, and thus, more susceptible to the coronavirus.
Dr. Erica Mayer of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute said in a previous interview, “The presence of this COVID viral pandemic has presented significant challenges and opportunities for us in the care of patients with breast cancer. Our top goal above anything else is to ensure that we are able to provide excellent, optimal care to patients with breast cancer to achieve the best possible outcomes in terms of management of their disease and individual survival.”
“However, the presence of this infectious pandemic [has] impacted our lives and our ability to just do routine things,” said Dr. Mayer. “It has definitely presented obstacles in providing our usual pathways of care. And so there’s been substantial work around the world among all breast cancer doctors to try to establish what are the best possible ways for us to be treating our patients during this time.”
Managing breast cancer during COVID-19 pandemic
Breast Cancer Screenings
Breast cancer is typically detected through mammography, which looks for lumps and signs of cancer in the breast tissue. Dr. Connie Lehman, the Chief of Breast Imaging Division at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a previous interview, “If you haven’t gone through menopause yet, I think it’s very important that you have a mammogram every year. We know that cancers grow more rapidly in our younger patients, and having that annual mammogram can be lifesaving.”
Related: When You're Getting a Mammogram, Ask About Dense Breasts
“After menopause, it may be perfectly acceptable to reduce that frequency to every two years,” said Dr. Lehman. “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.”
Related: The Mammogram Debate: Should Women Start Breast Cancer Screening at 30?
“We all agree regular screening mammography saves lives,” she said. “Every doctor that I know, every organization that I know really encourages women to have a mammogram. I want to be completely clear. If you are between 50 and 74 and you have not had a mammogram in the last two years, you are overdue. Please get a mammogram.”
When Should I Get a Mammogram?
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