Aging Gorgeously After Cancer
- Actress Vanessa Bell Calloway has been making the most of each year after battling breast cancer after her diagnosis 16 years ago, and she’s decided to kick of her 68th birthday with a glamorous photoshoot.
- Calloway was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, also known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), at age 52. She underwent a lumpectomy, mastectomy, and breast reconstruction before being declared cancer free.
- Stage zero breast cancer refers to DCIS otherwise known as Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. DCIS are abnormal cells that line the duct in a breast. A normal breast comprises lots of ducts (these ducts carry milk to the nipple in a woman who is lactating).
- Remember, when something doesn’t feel right, talk to your doctor and always get a second opinion if you’re not getting answers; you need to be your biggest advocate regarding your health.
Calloway is set to turn 68 on March 20 and in honor of her big day, she has shared some up-to-date photos of herself on social media, equipped with a black, sparkly evening gown, hoop earrings, and a flawless face of makeup.
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We’re delighted to see Calloway looking her best ahead of her birthday. She certainly has a lot to be grateful for, as she’s been cancer free for about 16 years.
She also has three daughters with her beloved husband, anesthesiologist Anthony Calloway. They will be celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary later this year.
Last year, she expressed her love for her husband in a sweet Instagram post, writing, “#happyanniversary to the love of my life @bowcal 36 years ago today September 3, 1988 we exchanged vows and promised to love each other forever and so far so good by love.
“I love you more today than that day 36 years ago. You are the leader of our family. A good husband, father and provider. I pray that God continues to bless us and protect us and our family. Happy Anniversary and I’ll see you soon sweetie.”
It’s wonderful to see Calloway looking forward to getting older. Her joy and appreciation for life is something many patients battling a disease an look up to, as life can still be enjoyed during and after cancer.
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Calloway’s Battle With Breast Cancer
Sharing her story with Susan G. Komen, Calloway recounted waking up about 16 years ago feeling the need to be proactive and check for breast cancer. After getting a mammogram, which had been months overdue, nurses informed her of “suspicious calcifications” in her right breast.
She explained, “I went back, and the radiologist read my x-ray to point out some questionable white dots. Although he couldn’t detect anything specific until I had a biopsy, I believed it was cancer.
“Days later, I found out I was right. At age 52, I had been diagnosed with DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ, which means the abnormal cells in the milk ducts have not fallen out into the tissue to invade the rest of the breast. It’s stage zero of breast cancer.”
Calloway first underwent a lumpectomy, but her doctors suggested another lumpectomy and then radiation, or a mastectomy [surgical removal of both breasts]. They decided with the mastectomy.
She explained, “I shopped for two surgeons for a 12-hour surgery. One performed the mastectomy and the other reconstructed my breast by using my body tissue from my stomach. I showed them photos of me on the red carpet, and I made sure to tell them to leave my cleavage.
“My playboy days are over, but I still needed to be sexy. I recovered at home for several weeks. I felt at ease, and I knew I had been in good hands. I am so glad I did it that way, because I don’t think it would have been good to do radiation as an actress with the possible changes in skin color and texture.
She concluded her story by encouraging others that a cancer journey helps you “learn a lot” she’s “very grateful and blessed” because of it.
“I love my birthdays even more. I’m 58 now. Some people stress about becoming older, but who cares about your age? You can’t turn 80 without turning 60. Don’t take life for granted. Take care of yourself,” she said.
“Before I became sick, I had always believed in doctors. I married one. Anthony is an anesthesiologist. I’ve never missed my annual checkups. We have a lot of different parts that work in a lot of different ways. Instead of being of the old generation when you don’t go to the doctor because of fear or mistrust, become an active participant in your own health. It’s nice to walk around without skepticism. I wake up every day worry-free. I forget I even had cancer sometimes, because I’m so entrenched in the goodness of life. It’s a gift.”
Stage Zero Breast Cancer
Stage zero breast cancer refers to Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS). DCIS are abnormal cells that line the duct in a breast. A normal breast is made up of lots of ducts (these ducts carry milk to the nipple in a woman who is lactating).
Learning About Stage Zero Breast Cancer (DCIS)
DCIS is not an invasive cancer, meaning it hasn’t spread outside the milk duct and it cannot invade other parts of the breast. In some instances, if left untreated, doctors believe that DCIS can evolve into a more invasive breast cancer. This is why historically, the standard treatment for DCIS is to remove it surgically and in some instances offer radiation as well.
However, many doctors aren’t sure if even that is necessary for DCIS, because it may or may not turn into cancer.
Helping Patients Cope with Early-Stage Breast Cancer
- Introduction to Early-Stage Breast Cancer
- Early Stage Breast Cancer: What to Know About Testing
- Why Active Surveillance is Being Studied for Stage Zero Breast Cancer
- How Does Molecular Testing Help Determine the Best Breast Cancer Treatment Option?
- Surgery or Chemo First? How is Breast Cancer Treatment Order Determined
- Updated Guidelines on Biomarkers for Early-Stage Breast Cancer
And in an effort to reduce the fear around the earliest stage breast cancer we want you to understand the definition and the debate around treatment.
Two important facts about DCIS breast cancer are:
- It doesn’t spread to other parts of the body.
- The risk of death is essentially zero.
Why Active Surveillance is Being Studied for Stage Zero Breast Cancer
As for the debate, some doctors don’t consider it cancer, but rather a collection of abnormal cells or a pre-cancer, which is why some women opt for a watch-and-wait approach.
Others may recommend the surgery route which usually involves a lumpectomy and potentially radiation as well. This somewhat more aggressive treatment (which is the standard protocol at major cancer centers) does have side effects, and potentially, long-term effects.
Dr. Elizabeth Comen Explains The Main Aspects Of Early-stage Breast Cancer
Less commonly, doctors and their patients will decide on more aggressive approaches depending on the amount of DCIS in the breast and a woman’s specific risk factors for future breast cancer. One reason some doctors may want to remove DCIS is if a biopsy reveals any evidence that a more invasive breast cancer could be present.
Meanwhile, a large study, known as the COMET study, is looking at the benefit of active surveillance versus standard treatment.
This kind of study will help doctors determine whether doing less may be just as effective as doing more. In the meantime, the options are worth weighing depending on your individual diagnosis and concerns.
Deciding the Right Course of Breast Cancer Treatment
Doctors treating breast cancer seek out markers on your particular cancer to help decide what course of treatment is best for you. This is due to the cancer cells possibly having what are known as receptors that help identify the unique features of the cancer.
The three main receptors are the estrogen receptor, the progesterone receptor, and the HER2 receptor. The estrogen and progesterone receptors go together because they are fueled by hormones. Think of the cancer cell as having little hands on the outside of the cell which grabs hold of proteins that help it grow. These proteins are sometimes called “ligands.”
An example of a type of ligand that can stimulate a cancer cell is the hormone estrogen. An estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer will be stimulated by estrogen to grow. In this instance, your doctor may offer you treatment to specifically target the estrogen receptor.
The Unique Features of Breast Cancer
Another important receptor to test for is the HER2 receptor. For HER2 positive breast cancers (like the stage zero cancer Kerns was diagnosed with), therapies that uniquely target the HER2 receptor are essential to treating the disease.
Helpful Information About Breast Cancer Screening
The medical community has a consensus that women between 45 and 54 have annual mammograms. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives. For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, have dense breasts, have a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before age 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.
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.
Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening. 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.
Family History & Breast Cancer Risk
Although breast cancer can happen to anyone, certain factors can increase a person’s risk of getting the disease. The known risk factors for breast cancer include:
- Older age
- Having a gene mutation such as the BRCA1 or BRCA2
- Added exposure to estrogen
- Having children after the age of 30
- Exposure to radiation early in life
- Family history of the disease
RELATED: Is Genetic Testing Right for You?
Different types of genetic testing can help people with a family history of cancer better ascertain their cancer risks. Your doctor will discuss your family history of cancer with you in the context of your type of tumor and your age at diagnosis. Hereditary genetic testing is usually done with a blood or saliva test.
WATCH: Understanding genetic testing for breast cancer.
About ten percent of breast cancers are hereditary, says Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, Director of the High-Risk Cancer Program at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center.
“We encourage only those with a family history to get [genetic testing],” Dr. Ginsburg tells SurvivorNet. “I would say that if you have anyone in your family diagnosed with a rare cancer. Or if you have a strong family history of one or two kinds of cancer, particularly breast and ovarian, but also colon, rectal, uterine, and ovarian cancer, that goes together in another cancer syndrome called the Lynch Syndrome,” Dr. Ginsburg adds.
The second test involves the genetic sequencing of your tumor if you’ve been diagnosed with cancer by this point. These genetic changes can be inherited, but most arise during a person’s lifetime. This process usually involves examining a biopsy or surgical specimen of your tumor. This testing can lead to decisions on drugs that might work against your cancer.
“Digital mammography, it turns out, significantly improves the quality of the mammogram… It’s 3D or tomosynthesis mammography,” Dr. Lehman explains.
“This allows us to find more cancers and significantly reduce our false-positive rate. With digital mammography 3D tomosynthesis, we’re taking thin slices through that breast tissue, like slices of a loaf of bread. We can look at each slice independently rather than trying to see through the entire thickness of the entire loaf of bread. So those thin slices help us find things that were hidden in all the multiple layers,” Dr. Lehman adds.
Additional testing can be considered for dense breasts, depending on a woman’s personal history, preferences, and her physician’s guidance.
WATCH: How Trodelvy Offers Hope
What to Consider When Weighing Preventive Mastectomy?
A prophylactic, or preventative, mastectomy is an operation where the breast tissue is removed to prevent cancer from developing in the future.
“Risk-reducing mastectomies are an operation where we take women at, usually, very high risk for getting breast cancer for genetic mutation carriers, who are the ones at the highest risk; there’s unfortunately only one way to actually prevent breast cancer,” Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, previously told SurvivorNet.
“Women who are found to test positive for a genetic mutation really have two options,” Dr. Port explains. “One is what’s called high-risk surveillance, which means we check them every six months or so mammograms, MRIs with the hope that if God forbid, they develop breast cancer, we pick it up early. But that’s not prevention; that’s early detection.
“Early detection is a goal; it’s not a guarantee. For the woman who wants to be more proactive about actually preventing breast cancer, or as we say reducing her risk, unfortunately, the only way to do that is to remove the actual tissue at risk, and that is the breast tissue,” she adds.
Some women decide to have their breasts reconstructed and have implants put in right after the mastectomy, while others don’t have reconstruction at all.
The benefits of a prophylactic or preventative surgery are:
- Significant reduction in cancer risk (from 80-90% to 1-2%)
- Nipples can often be spared
- Women can get reconstruction at the same time
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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