Ilaria D’Elia had been feeling unwell, but was too excited about getting her dream acting job and decorating her new house to worry. When she found a lump in her breast, just after her thirty-third birthday, Ilaria immediately visited her doctor. Upon examination, her doctor thought it was the result of her hormones flaring up and discounted the possibility of cancer due to her young age. Ilaria felt unsure and decided to get a second opinion. It was fortunate that she listened to her body, because Ilaria was diagnosed by a second doctor with an aggressive form of breast cancer. She then faced the unexpected challenge of educating herself about her disease. She wrote in her diary, “My fears have been confirmed after endless tests and waiting for what seemed like an eternity. I have breast cancer. The doctor says it’s aggressive. The type of cancer I have is HER2-positive. I didn’t even know that there were different types of breast cancer.”
Unfortunately, Ilaria’s story isn’t uncommon. One woman out of every ten will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime and you can count yourself very fortunate if you or someone you love has not gone through the torture of chemotherapy or the emotional strain of a mastectomy. Enter “Breast Cancer” into Google and “1-10 of about 2, 230,000” results pop onto the screen. An overabundance of information exists, proving that too many have been touched by this disease. But what should women know about this killer in order to help themselves and loved ones?
There are things known to increase the risk of developing breast cancer: age, family history, exposure to hormones, alcohol, and obesity. It is important to be aware of these risk factors, but it is just as important that all women are educated about breast cancer in order to diagnose it and fight it effectively, either for themselves or loved ones. Breast cancer is a complex disease made up of many different types. Different processes trigger its growth and some breast cancers are more difficult to diagnose or more aggressive than others.
A familiar symptom of breast cancer is a lump in the breast or under the arm. However, there are breast cancers that are not accompanied by this common sign. Inflammatory Breast Cancer is rare, but very aggressive and is often misdiagnosed initially. Women with inflammatory breast cancer frequently experience redness, swelling and fever, but no lump. In addition to a mass in the breast, women should look out for veins becoming more prominent on the breast, a discharge from the nipple, changes in the skin of the breast or nipple, soreness, itchiness or pain in the breast and an increase in the size or a lowering of one breast. Everyone can become engrossed in work, family, and various to- do lists, but it is vital that women are aware of their bodies and report any and all strange symptoms around the breast to their doctor.
Ilaria’s case is a prime example of how finding breast cancer early makes treatment much easier and more effective. Certain breast cancers establish themselves in the body and rapidly draw nourishment from healthy cells to grow quickly. Once diagnosed, it is imperative that women obtain as much information as possible about their cancer. Doctors should run tests to determine exactly what type of breast cancer they are fighting. For some types of breast cancer, specialised treatments exist and personalised treatment gives women the best chance for life.
Ilaria may have felt shocked, scared, and overwhelmed by her diagnosis, but she quickly learned about the type of breast cancer she was facing to ensure she that received the right treatment.
Today Ilaria is doing well and there is much to learn from her experience. Breast cancer does not follow a set pattern and the disease can easily go unnoticed or ignored. Be aware of your body, check yourself, and stay informed so that you are equipped to confront this horrible disease if necessary.
Breast Cancer is not a death sentence and after successful treatment, many women report a new outlook on life. Ilaria recently wrote in her diary, “Life is a truly unpredictable force. I don’t feel invisible anymore. I feel like I’m a new person, finding my way of being, and I am determined to ‘be’ for a long time yet!”
For more information about diagnosis and different types of breast cancer, visit one of these breast cancer organizations’ Web sites:
Y-ME,Susan G. Komen Foundation, The Young Survival Coalition, Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation
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The Breast Friends Programme, which encourages breast cancer patients to take a friend or family member to medical appointments, suggests the following tips and checklist of questions upon diagnosis:
TIPS: * Try not to panic—give yourself time to understand your cancer and available treatments * Open communication with your doctor leads to better results in the treatment of breast cancer * Have a close friend or family member with you at medical appointments who will help you remember and understand what your doctor says * Gather all the information you can to gain a thorough understanding of your breast cancer * Collate all your information and keep all your paperwork so that you can refer back and make a list of anything you aren’t clear about
QUESTIONS: * What stage is my breast cancer? *
