Cathy Devine says she’s always known she’s at risk for breast cancer. “We have a long history of breast cancer in my family. My grandmother had breast cancer at the age of 32 in the 1950s. My mom in the 80s in her 40s and subsequently my sister, and that was the trigger for me.”
After testing positive for the BRCA1 gene, Cathy’s risk of developing breast cancer increased to 85 percent. “I was able to have preventive surgery, and a week after my surgery and reconstruction, the lab called to say, it’s a good thing you had preventive surgery because you actually had breast cancer in both breasts.”
But 20 years later, in 2018, Cathy discovered a lump in her breast. “I called Lee. And Dr. Blackwell, she was just amazing. She guided me through the testing process. I was able to have surgery quickly,” she said.
She was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. An aggressive, but treatable cancer. “It’s a very upsetting diagnosis. So what you can do is you can offer education, you can offer people a treatment plan and that can help to make people feel better,” said Dr. Lea Blackwell, a breast surgeon with Lee Health.
Breast surgeon Dr. Lea Blackwell says, breast cancer is very treatable, no matter the stage. “Our treatment is very effective for breast cancer, that’s why we have so many survivors,” she said.
Today, cancer-free, Cathy is encouraging others to pay attention to their bodies and know their risk for breast cancer.
View More Health Matters video segments at LeeHealth.org/Healthmatters/
Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health – Caring People. Inspiring Care.
Visit LeeHealth.org
"breast" - Google News
December 21, 2020 at 08:07AM
https://ift.tt/3nE4FHF
Health Matters: A Breast Cancer Journey - NBC2 News
"breast" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2ImtPYC
https://ift.tt/2Wle22m
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Health Matters: A Breast Cancer Journey - NBC2 News"
Post a Comment