Anne

Next up, is Anne's story.  Please visit Anne's blog, which can be found here.

 

 

Age and Diagnosis

 

28 years old, and stage 1 breast cancer .

 

Family history or BRCA mutation?

 

No family history at all, but I am BRCA2+.  [Please see here for more information regarding the BRCA mutations.]

 

 

Who caught it?

 

I found it myself, in the shower. Brought it up to my OBGYN who said it was most likely a cyst. After a radiologist confirmed it was a mass, my breast specialist also told me it was probably nothing. His exact words to me were "I don't think this is cancer. If I did, I would tell you".  But he finally agreed to biopsy it. When he called with the biopsy results that it was indeed cancer, I could tell he felt very guilty for telling me it was "nothing".

 

 

What were the signs?

 

A small, hard pea sized lump

 

 

Did your doctors listen to you?

 

No. In fact had I not been pregnant at the time (I subsequently lost the pregnancy), I don't think my doctors would have felt pressured to pursue it.

 

 

What would you say to a young woman who thinks she might have something wrong?

 

Be your own best advocate. Pressure your doctors to give you an answer. Young women CAN and DO get breast cancer. Even the youngest, healthiest, least suspecting ones who "did everything right" to live within the lowest risk factors.