October is breast cancer awareness month. You have probably seen the pretty little pink ribbons.
But it is important to say that breast cancer is not pretty.
An ugly thread #bcsm #BCAM /1
But it is important to say that breast cancer is not pretty.
An ugly thread #bcsm #BCAM /1
Some persons, through absolutely no fault of their own, present with metastatic disease.
In some persons, through absolutely no fault of their own, breast cancer comes back in another part of their body. #bcsm #bcam /2
In some persons, through absolutely no fault of their own, breast cancer comes back in another part of their body. #bcsm #bcam /2
Persons with zero risk factors are diagnosed with the disease. It does not matter if you do not have a family history. It does not matter if you faithfully do your mammogram (mammos detect early, they don’t prevent). #bcsm #bcam /3
Breast cancer can come back.
Even after all the “right” treatment.
Even with the best doctors.
Even if you remove both breasts.
B/c it can come back in other parts of the body.
When breast cancer spreads to the lungs/bone/liver/brain—it is still breast cancer. #bcsm #bcam /4
Even after all the “right” treatment.
Even with the best doctors.
Even if you remove both breasts.
B/c it can come back in other parts of the body.
When breast cancer spreads to the lungs/bone/liver/brain—it is still breast cancer. #bcsm #bcam /4
And this “it can come back”—we call that all sorts of things: recurrence, stage 4, metastatic, advanced breast cancer.
But often it simply goes unsaid. That ugly, scary risk.
But there is no cure for that.
And we don’t talk about that enough.
#bcam #bcsm /5
But often it simply goes unsaid. That ugly, scary risk.
But there is no cure for that.
And we don’t talk about that enough.
#bcam #bcsm /5
And this recurrence/coming back can happen a long time after the magical 5 year mark that people hear about, talk about, celebrate:
20-Year Risks of Breast-Cancer Recurrence after Stopping Endocrine Therapy at 5 Years | NEJM nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…
#bcsm #BCAM /6
20-Year Risks of Breast-Cancer Recurrence after Stopping Endocrine Therapy at 5 Years | NEJM nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…
#bcsm #BCAM /6
Let’s look a little closer at those...
Risk of RECURRENCE at 20 years with 0, 1-3, 4-9 positive lymph nodes is 22% 31% and 52% respectively.
That doesn’t feel pink, does it? #bcsm #bcam /7
Risk of RECURRENCE at 20 years with 0, 1-3, 4-9 positive lymph nodes is 22% 31% and 52% respectively.
That doesn’t feel pink, does it? #bcsm #bcam /7
I know-that data is 20 years old! In the last 20 years there have been amazing advances breast cancer treatment—hopefully the 20 year historical curves for women diagnosed in 2020 are better. #bcsm #bcam /8 (Breast cancer: 45 years of research & progress fal.cn/37KOd )
But I want everyone to know & understand that not everyone feels very pink this month.
Some are mourning the loss of a cherished loved one to a terrible cancer.
Some are living with a diagnosis that will someday take their life.
#bcsm #bcam /9
Some are mourning the loss of a cherished loved one to a terrible cancer.
Some are living with a diagnosis that will someday take their life.
#bcsm #bcam /9
Each individual can have their own experience with breast cancer.
And we can hold space for that.
We can even hold un-pink, uncomfortable, hard ugly space for that.
October is for everyone.
#bcsm #bcam 10/end
And we can hold space for that.
We can even hold un-pink, uncomfortable, hard ugly space for that.
October is for everyone.
#bcsm #bcam 10/end
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