sTAGE '1' BREAST CANCER
STAGE 1 BREAST CANCER
Stage 1 breast cancer describes the size and location of the breast cancer cells. The cancer cells could be found in either,
- The Breast or
- The Lymph nodes
This is an early-stage breast cancer where growth becomes visibly apparent (under a microscope).
There are two stages to stage 1 breast cancer,
- STAGE 1A and,
- STAGE 1B
STAGE 1A
- A tumor is found in the breast and it is 2 centimetres in size, or less AND,
- The tumor has not spread beyond the breast.
STAGE 1B
- Small cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes very close to the breast AND EITHER,
- A tumor is not found in the breast or,
- A tumor is found in the breast of less than 2cm in size.
IS STAGE 1 BREAST CANCER INCURABLE?
Stage 1 IS HIGHLY TREATABLE and normally involves a combination of surgery and radiation. This might be followed with hormone therapy depending on,
- Your type of breast cancer
- Your overall health
- Your family (genetic) history
For example, your breast cancer will be tested for the following receptors, and this will heavily influence the decisions you make about your treatment whether you have,
- ESTROGEN positive (or negative) receptor,
- PROGESTERONE positive (or negative) receptor or,
- HER2 positive (or negative) receptor
Once a biopsy is taken, ask your doctor about your receptor status before deciding upon your treatment.
It’s difficult to discuss stage 1 breast cancer from an African heritage perspective because most breast cancers are found through self-discovery and by implication, this means they have often grown beyond 2 cm.
Several studies have explored the effectiveness of breast cancer screening services (normally mammograms), particularly in the West. Note, over 80 per cent of breast cancer lumps are discovered by women themselves, who live in the Caribbean.
Two schools of thought are generally discussed,
- Black women tend to delay seeking medical help giving time for tumors to advance and,
- Doctors fail to take black women seriously when they attend their surgeries desperate for help. By the time doctors do take them seriously, the tumors have had time to advance.
Presuming both statements are true, what is left is for us as black women is to be more confident in our actions. We must get to the doctors much earlier following our gut instincts when we are either at stage ‘0’ or stage 1. Listen to what your body is telling you and trust it will be ok the earlier the better.
Just to be clear, TOMORROW means LATER, and TODAY means BETTER.
When we do get to the doctors, do not passively accept your doctors advise. Trust your instincts. Don’t let them send you away telling you something like you’re far too young to be worrying about breast cancer. You might want to hear that – who wouldn’t? But don’t trade that in for your better instincts. Be informed, work together with your doctor, and make sure you have a doctor who can look you in the eye.
THEN CALMLY STAND YOUR GROUND AND SAVE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT APOLOGY.
