I discovered DetecTogether while searching for an organization that empowers women through early cancer detection. Using a 3 Steps Detect method, I was able to identify a warning sign that would change my life.
It all began on vacation. While applying sunscreen, I felt a small lump in my breast. Initially, I wasn’t too alarmed—I asked my husband and mother to feel it, and like my doctor, they weren’t overly concerned. But I knew not to ignore a new lump. So, I pushed for answers, trusting my instincts, even when the initial mammogram and ultrasound showed nothing. Given I have dense breast tissue, I had a false sense of security when my mammograms showed “no evidence of cancer.” It turns out the doctors think I may have had cancer for as many as five years before it was finally diagnosed. An MRI revealed what those mammograms missed. Instead, the tumor had started to grow by the time it was diagnosed, and I needed a bilateral mastectomy. Now, I’m in the midst of ongoing treatments to prevent any further spread.
Looking back, I realize how critical it was to advocate for myself.
If you find a new lump and you can’t get a clear answer as to what it is or what caused it, insist on a biopsy—even if doctors aren’t overly concerned and it’s out of “an abundance of caution” (which is how the radiologist described the decision to biopsy). If I hadn’t pushed for that biopsy, I don’t know where I’d be today. For any woman with dense breast tissue—don’t rely solely on mammograms. Push for additional screenings like an MRI or ultrasound.
Trust your instincts. Sometimes, it’s that extra persistence that makes all the difference.
