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the new face of breast cancer: why awareness matters at any age
6 minute read
lauren mcdermott’s biggest hope for sharing her story is to help people feel less alone and to let people know that a breast cancer diagnosis at a young age, while challenging and difficult to cope with, doesn’t have to take away the control one has over their life.
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this article was produced by the healthing editorial team with the support of a grant from breast cancer canada. while breast cancer canada made the production of this article possible, they did not have any editorial influence or control over the content, including review prior to publication.
when lauren mcdermott was getting ready for a day of fun in british columbia while on vacation with her friends, she noticed a lump in her right breast. at the time, she thought it was weird, but didn’t consider it much of an issue as she was in her early twenties, and typically, young people don’t have to worry about the c-word as much as their older counterparts.
“it wasn’t really at the forefront of my mind,” she said.
she and her friends went about their trip, having fun and living carefree, as is customary for many twenty-somethings. when she got home, however, her parents urged her to see the doctor. after an ultrasound, she got the call that same day that she needed a biopsy to confirm her doctor’s suspicions. when the results came back positive for breast cancer, lauren was shocked because she never believed it could be something serious.
even while getting the diagnosis, she still wasn’t sure until her doctor mentioned the next steps.
“she was just calling it abnormal tissue, and she was like, ‘i don’t know how to tell you this. i’m so sorry, but it’s abnormal tissue,” said lauren. “she didn’t say the word cancer to me until i started cluing in what she was talking about because she mentioned radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, as possible steps.”
once lauren understood it was cancer, she went through an initial state of shock because people in their twenties are not typically the age group who have to deal with this kind of thing. but once that moment passed, lauren did what she always does when faced with adversity.
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“how i handle situations is i go into planning mode, and i want as much information as possible to figure out what plan is going to be in place so that we can tackle this,” she said. “i think that’s kind of what my mind shifted to after the initial shock and emotions and tears and just the feelings of what is going to happen in my life. i think that was the biggest thing, just having no idea what this process was going to look like, and that was really overwhelming for me.”
rising rates of breast cancer in young people
while lauren is considered the exception to the rule of breast cancer primarily affecting older adults, she’s not alone. according to research, the rates for breast cancer have been steadily rising in the past 35 years. cases occurring in those in their twenties have increased by a staggering 45.5 per cent in that timeframe, while those in their thirties and forties are seeing higher incidence rates of breast cancer diagnoses at a rate of 12.5 per cent and 9.1 per cent, respectively.
in some cases, getting the proper screening is difficult for younger people because of the idea that breast cancer only affects those who fall into older age brackets. lauren, whose doctor was on the ball with her diagnostic process, counts herself lucky for having a healthcare provider who did not brush her off because of her age.
“i’m super grateful because a lot of young people, sometimes the process gets delayed because doctors will assume it’s not breast cancer because it’s not as common for young people,” she said.
kimberly carson, the ceo of breast cancer canada, notes that these rising rates in young people like lauren need to be addressed with better screening practices. currently, the system is set up for federal screening recommendations at age 50, with some provinces starting earlier at age 40.
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healthcare providers also need to take into account the over 50 types of breast cancer that can arise, because that also makes a significant difference in when and how these cancers develop and who they affect.
that said, until better screening, access to screening, and more knowledge surrounding breast cancer types and development are more widespread, young people need to be aware of their chances, even if they are small, and “know their own breast health” because of it.
“at any age, women should know their own breast health. if they detect anything that’s untoward or not the same, they need to report that immediately,” said carson.
she also notes that understanding your risk factors, such as your family history, knowing whether or not you have the brca gene that can cause a specific type of breast cancer, and considering your lifestyle factors, such as smoking, can all be helpful in taking control of your breast health.
even so, young people still face barriers when it comes to accessing the proper screening.
“i’ve heard a lot of horror stories … that they try to get a doctor to pay attention to them and that the doctors say, ‘oh, no. you’re too young.”
this is where self-advocacy comes into play. people will need to push for the proper screening if they feel that something is wrong, because when it comes to cancer, pushing for care could literally mean life or death.
learning to live with a new normal and advocating for awareness
for lauren, she was lucky enough not to have to advocate too hard for herself, but even with a quick diagnosis, breast cancer changed the trajectory of her life.
throughout her life, lauren has always been interested in teaching, a passion that she pursued through college. she studied sociology and went to teacher’s college, but was forced to put her education and life on hold to go through treatment.
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“thinking back, i think what was harder than the actual diagnosis itself was being told that i couldn’t go back to school and having to defer my final year of school,” she said. “when i first found out, i was like, okay. this is just going to become a part of my routine. i’ll get accommodations, but i’ll figure it out. i’ll push through. my mentality in life is i’m just going to keep pushing and persevere.”
unfortunately, because she had to go through treatment that compromised her immune system, she was unable to continue her schooling because it put her at risk, forcing her to choose to pull back on her perseverant attitude and focus on one thing—getting better.
she did chemotherapy and radiation, and went through an egg freezing cycle so that when she was older, she could still have the option of having children if she wanted to.
along with her personal and professional interests, lauren is also a strong voice in the breast cancer community because she understands firsthand how important it is to be able to identify breast changes and get the care you need fast.
she also understands that when people share their own stories, it can have a profound impact on helping others, and for her, wanting to come out of her shell to contribute something to the world has always been an important aspect of becoming the woman she is today.
“this experience has given me an opportunity to share something impactful, but at the same time, it showed me that, even when i’m not talking about cancer-related stuff and i’m just being myself, i am contributing something just by being me,” she said.
lauren’s biggest hope for sharing her story is to help people feel less alone and to let people know that a breast cancer diagnosis at a young age, while challenging and difficult to cope with, doesn’t have to take away the control one has over their life.
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“you’re losing parts of yourself, like if you’re going through chemo, you might lose your hair. those are huge, huge parts of yourself. if you’re getting a double mastectomy and you’re losing your breasts, that is a huge part of your identity, 100 per cent,” she said. “it’s obviously going to hit you at times, and you’re going to be faced with all these emotions about that, but it’s totally possible to look at what you still have and recognize that you are still in control and you can still live an awesome life and you can keep up with your activities, even if it looks different.”
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