ONE THAT HELPED ME FIND A SUBTLE SIGN OF BREAST CANCER.
I’M HOPING BY SHARING MY STORY,
I CAN HELP SOMEONE ELSE.
>> WE’RE GOING TO RACE YOU TO
THE SWING.
THE SWING. >> LET’S GO.
>> BREAST CANCER WAS THE LAST
THING ON MY MIND.
I’M IN MY 40s.
I’M ACTIVE.
I’M ACTIVE. WE DON’T REALLY HAVE A FAMILY
HISTORY.
HISTORY. >> GOOD JOB.
>> AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I HAD
JUST HAD A SCREENING MAMMOGRAM
THAT WAS NEGATIVE BACK IN APRIL,
AND THEN A STORY I HAD DONE A
FEW YEARS AGO REALLY SAVED MY
LIFE.
LIFE. >> NBC’S KRISTEN DAHLGREN WITH
MORE.
MORE. >> I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A
ROUTINE ASSIGNMENT TO A BREAST
CANCER STUDY.
CANCER STUDY. >> THERE’S A VERY BRIGHT AREA IN
THE CENTER OF HER LEFT BREAST.
>> WHAT THIS NEW STUDY TELLS US
IS IT’S PROFOUNDLY IMPORTANT TO
BE AWARE OF YOUR BREASTS.
>> I INTERVIEWED THIS DOCTOR.
SHE TALKED ABOUT WOMEN LOOKING
FOR OTHER CHANGES IN THEIR
BREASTS, A DIMPLE, A DENT, ANY
DISCHARGE, THINGS LIKE THAT, AND
I REMEMBER AT THE TIME THINKING
THIS STORY IS GOING TO SAVE
LIVES.
LIVES. AND I JUST HAD NO IDEA THAT THE
LIFE IT WOULD SAVE WOULD BE
MINE.
MINE. FAST FORWARD, IT WAS MY 47th
BIRTHDAY AND I WAS GETTING READY
TO GO OUT AND MEET FRIENDS, AND
I NOTICED SORT OF A DENT IN MY
BREAST, AND I FELT SOMETHING
UNDER IT, BUT I WOULDN’T SAY IT
FELT LIKE A LUMP, IT WAS MORE
LIKE A THICKENING, IT FELT
DIFFERENT THAN EVERYWHERE ELSE.
I THOUGHT BACK TO THE STORY AND
I KNEW I NEEDED TO SEE A DOCTOR.
BUT THEN LIFE GOT REALLY BUSY.
I WAS SENT TO COVER A HURRICANE
THE NEXT DAY.
>> THERE IS JUST ONE MAIN ROAD
ALONG THE OUTER BANKS.
>> AND MY HUSBAND REALLY
ENCOURAGED ME WHILE I WAS GONE
TO TRY AND FIND A PLACE THERE
THAT I COULD GET A MAMMOGRAM
DONE, AND SO LITERALLY IN
BETWEEN LIVE SHOTS, I RAN TO THE
LOCAL HOSPITAL AND THEY DID A
MAMMOGRAM AND WITHIN DAYS I WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE 2 BREAST
CANCER.
CANCER. IT’S LIKE A KICK IN THE GUT.
I HAVE A 3-YEAR-OLD.
I HAVE A LOT TO LIVE FOR.
AND IT’S DEFINITELY BEEN THE
HARDEST THING I’VE EVER BEEN
THROUGH.
THROUGH. IT’S SCARY.
IT’S SCARY. IT’S REALLY SCARY.
>> SO HERE WE ARE AT CHEMO.
I’VE JUST BEEN FEELING A LITTLE
TIRED.
TIRED. THE HAIR IS GONE, BUT IT SEEMS
THAT THE TUMORS ARE SHRINKING SO
IT’S DOING ITS JOB.
>> I’M DEFINITELY A SUPER
PRIVATE PERSON.
PRIVATE PERSON. I DON’T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT
MYSELF A LOT.
MY THINKING IS IF THAT STORY
SAVED MY LIFE, THEN MAYBE IT CAN
SAVE SOMEONE ELSE’S.
AND IF ONE PERSON SEES THIS AND
NOTICES A CHANGE IN THEIR BREAST
AND GOES AND GETS IT CHECKED
OUT, IF ONE PERSON IS SAVED BY
THAT, THEN IT MAKES IT WORTH IT
TO SHARE MY STRUGGLES.
>> KRISTEN JOINS US HERE.
WE HAVE NBC NEWS MEDICAL
CONTRIBUTOR, DR. AZAR.
KRISTEN, I’M STRUCK, FIRST OF
ALL BY YOUR BRAVERY, AND I’M
ALSO STRUCK BY THE FACT THAT
THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS
VERY STUDIO WHO HAD NO IDEA.
LIKE YOU CAME IN HERE, YOU DID
YOUR JOB.
YOUR JOB. YOU SAT IN THAT CHAIR.
BUT HOW ARE YOU FEELING ON THIS
SIDE OF THINGS?
>> YOU KNOW, I’M GLAD THAT I’M
SHARING MY STORY.
IT’S SOMETHING I KNEW I WANTED
TO DO RIGHT AWAY.
I HAVE BEEN OPEN FROM THE
BEGINNING BUT LIKE I SAID, I’M A
PRIVATE PERSON SO I’M NOT GOING
TO GO UP TO SOMEBODY AND SAY,
HEY, I HAVE BREAST CANCER, BUT I
THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE
TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IF I
HADN’T DONE THE STORY AND KNOWN
WHAT TO LOOK FOR, I THINK I
WOULD HAVE PUT IT OFF.
I HAD JUST HAD A MAMMOGRAM THAT
SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE.
I’LL ADMIT IT, I WASN’T GREAT
ABOUT GOING FOR A YEARLY
MAMMOGRAM.
MAMMOGRAM. IT MAY HAVE BEEN SOME TIME, AND
I FEEL SO LUCKY AND BLESSED THAT
I WAS ABLE TO DO THAT.
>> YOU SAID SOMETHING ELSE THAT
I WON’T FORGET, YOU MAY NOT
REMEMBER THIS.
REMEMBER THIS. YOU WERE DOING A STORY ABOUT
ST. JUDE, AND I WAS SO STRUCK BY
THE FACT THAT YOU WENT THERE AND
WERE ABLE TO DO THAT STORY, AND
YOU SAID TO ME, BETTER ME THAN
MY KIDS.
MY KIDS. THAT’S WHAT YOU SAID.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. AND SOME OF YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW,
MY STEPSON HAS GONE THROUGH
LEUKEMIA.
LEUKEMIA. WE HAVE SEEN IT FROM THE PARENT
ROLE, AND I WOULD, I WOULD MUCH
RATHER GO THROUGH THIS THAN SEE
ANOTHER ONE OF MY KIDS GO
THROUGH CANCER.
THROUGH CANCER. IT’S NOT EASY, BUT A LOT OF
WOMEN GO THROUGH IT.
>> DR. NATALIE, IN THE STORY
THERE, THE MAMMOGRAM, WE HAVE
HEARD THIS BEFORE, THAT
MAMMOGRAMS DON’T CATCH ALL FORMS
OF BREAST CANCER.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?
WHY WOULD A MAMMOGRAM MISS THIS
KIND OF CANCER?
>> LOOK, THE SENSITIVITY OF A
MA’AM GRABBING OVERALL IS 87%.
THAT’S A GOOD NUMBER AND A GREAT
SCREENING TOOL, AND THAT ALSO
MEANS ABOUT 13% OF CANCERS CAN
BE MISSED, A COUPLE OF FACTORS
CAN PLAY A ROLE, THE BREASTS CAN
BE FATTY OR DENSE.
DENSE TISSUE IT’S HARDER TO
DETECT CANCER ON A MAMMOGRAM.
IF YOU HAVE PERSONALIZED RISK
FACTORS, DENSE BREASTS AND YOUNG
AGE, MORE SCREENINGS, LIKE MRIs
AND ULTRASOUNDS.
AND ULTRASOUNDS. >> YOU HAD A GREAT GROUP
SURROUNDING YOU, YOUR HUSBAND,
YOUR DAUGHTER, I WAS LOOKING AT
THOSE IMAGES AND THINKING THAT’S
SO KEY TOO.
>> IT’S THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE IT
THROUGH THIS.
THROUGH THIS. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO’S A BREAST
CANCER SURVIVOR WHO GOES TO
EVERY CHEMOWITH ME.
MY PARENTS COME EVERY SINGLE
WEEK AND STAY WITH US AND HELP
OUT.
OUT. MY HUSBAND IS A ROCK, AND MY
FRIENDS HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL.
>> AND YOUR LITTLE DAUGHTER,
WOW.
WOW. >> WHICH IS WHY I KEEP GOING.
>> HOW ARE YOU DOING NOW?
HOW ARE YOU FEEL SOMETHING.
>> I’M FEELING WELL.
I HAVE A LONG ROAD AHEAD.
I’M STILL IN CHEMOTHERAPY, AND
THAT HASN’T BEEN EASY.
I’M TIRED AND I HAVE SOME OTHER
SIDE EFFECTS AND I HAVE
SURGERIES COMING UP.
IT’S A LONG ROAD BUT I HAVE THE
BEST DOCTORS IN THE WORLD, THEY
ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC AND SO AM I.
>> I CAN TELL YOU ARE.
WE’RE SO HAPPY YOU ARE.
>> YOU DID A LOT OF GOOD THIS
MORNING.
MORNING. >> DR. AZAR, THANK YOU, TOO, AND
WE SHOULD MENTION KRISTEN READ
THIS POWERFUL ESSAY FOR