Today, Senator Claire McCaskill (D) announced that she has breast cancer, will be undergoing treatment, and expects to make a full recovery. www.nbcnews.com/...
"I very recently learned that I have breast cancer. It was detected through a regular mammogram," she wrote on her Tumblr account. "It's a little scary, but my prognosis is good and I expect a full recovery."
Despite the increased spending to fight breast cancer, approximately 12% of women will receive a breast cancer diagnosis during their lifetime. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed among women. An estimated 232,000 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in 2015. The median age of diagnosis is 61 years, and 62-year-old Sen. McCaskill is squarely within that demographic.
Fortunately, the prognosis for women with breast cancer has improved since the 1970s, when only 75% of women survived at least 5 years after diagnosis. The 5-year survival rate is now 89%.
Catching breast cancer early can greatly improve outcomes. Although debate continues about when women should start breast cancer screening, how often they should be screened, and what method is best, please remember that the Affordable Care Act requires your health insurer to cover breast cancer screening.
Trans women taking estradiol (a type of estrogen) may also have an increased risk of breast cancer and need to know they have a legal right for breast cancer screening under the ACA. Do not let any physician tell you otherwise.
If you are a woman over 40 or if you have a mother, aunt, or sister who had breast cancer, speak with your doctor and decide on what screening plan is right for you. Women whose fathers had prostate cancer associated with a BRCA genetic mutation may also have an increased risk of breast cancer.
One in 40 Ashkenazi Jews carries a BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation (compared with 1 in 800 women in the general population). Thus, women of Askhenazi Jewish descent should be especially vigilant about breast cancer screening.
Black women have a higher risk of more aggressive breast cancer that is still being explored. Because of this, early detection is especially important for black women. Studies show many barriers exist to black and Hispanic women getting effective breast cancer treatment, including physicians who do not recommend appropriate care:
...of more than 100,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 and 2011, African-American and Hispanic women were more likely to be diagnosed at later stages. African-American women had a much higher risk of the disease being discovered at the most advanced, deadly stage. And African-American and Hispanic patients were up to 40 percent more likely to receive treatment not in line with breast cancer guidelines.
"We compared stage of cancer and receipt of treatment among women recently diagnosed with breast cancer," lead study author Lu Chen wrote in an email. "We saw a consistent pattern of late diagnosis and not receiving recommended treatment for African American women across all breast cancer subtypes."
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has online guidelines for cancer treatment that are regularly updated. They also have resources for patients. Being informed can help you make sure you get the recommended treatment.
There are many groups that accept online donations for breast cancer research or to support patients with breast cancer. I have not evaluated all these groups for quality (see Charity Navigator), but some well-known groups include the American Cancer Society, Sisters Network, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and the National Breast Cancer Foundation. You may also have groups in your local community that help women with breast cancer.
Although much of this diary focused on women, please note that approximately 2300 men in the United States get breast cancer each year. Anyone noticing a suspicious lump on their chest should have it investigated promptly.
Finally, there are things you can do to reduce your risk of breast cancer or to reduce the risk of breast cancer relapse after treatment. Maintaining a healthy weight, eating a good diet, exercising, and reducing alcohol intake have all been linked with decreased breast cancer risk and better outcomes.
Best wishes to Sen. McCaskill for a speedy, full recovery. Her diagnosis is a reminder that breast cancer is still a disease that needs to be eradicated. I applaud her decision to go public with her diagnosis, giving us a reminder of how important it is to continue the fight against this disease that continues to affect so many women each year.
UPDATE:
I wanted to add a reminder to women with advanced breast cancer to consider participating in a clinical trial. Many effective treatments have emerged from clinical trials. There have also been failures, but the only way we are going to ever beat cancer is through clinical research, and your participation may someday save many lives and hopefully your own.