Oprah said, “By the end of this hour, twenty women will hear the words, you have breast cancer.” Oprah discussed breast cancer with Christina Applegate, Nancy Brinker, and Dr. McAndrew.
Christina Applegate
The star of the hit show, Samantha Who, appeared on the Oprah show to discuss her battle with breast cancer. She reported that the recovery process has been painful, and she went through a period of grieving for the loss of her breasts. Christina has a family history of breast cancer and she was determined to beat the cancer when she received the diagnosis. She met with her oncologist and surgeon the day after her diagnosis and went in for surgery the next week.
Christina said, “It became a strange blessing in my life.” She made a decision to fight for women to have access to breast cancer screenings such as MRIs and gene testing. Many insurance policies only cover the mammogram which does not always pick up on breast cancer, especially if a woman has dense breasts.
Dr. Philomena McAndrew
Dr. McAndrew, Christina’s doctor, answered questions from the audience and educated viewers about breast cancer. She stated that most breast cancers are not inherited. Therefore, women should be screening for breast cancer even if they do not have a history of the disease in their families. Dr. McAndrew reported that women who have the breast cancer gene mutation have up to an eighty-seven percent chance of developing breast cancer.
Women should get a MRI, which is usually not covered by insurance, if they have silicone breast implants, have dense breasts, carry the gene mutation for breast cancer, or had chest radiation as a teenager. Women need to advocate for themselves to get the screening they need and deserve.
Nancy Brinker
The founder of the Susan G. Coleman foundation, Nancy Brinker, discussed her motivation to begin the foundation. Nancy’s sister, Susan, died at the young of age of thirty-six when she lost her battle to breast cancer. Nancy reported that she promised her sister before she died that she would advocate for women with breast cancer. Nancy was diagnosed with breast cancer four years after her sister passed away.
Nancy said that she wanted to encourage people to celebrate hope and survivorship. She began the race for the cure to promote hope even though people told her that she was going to fail. The first race for the cure brought out about eight hundred participants, and Nancy was motivated to keep going.
Friends and Loved Ones
Maimah, a breast cancer survivor, said that she knew that she had breast cancer before her doctor told her the devastating news. Oprah asked her how friends and loved ones can help someone struggling with breast cancer, and she reported that they should:
- Give hands on support.
- Go with them to treatment sessions and doctor’s appointments.
- Buy groceries and cook meals for them.
- Clean the house and watch the children.
- Call everyday.
According to Oprah, one out of eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, but eighty-one percent of women diagnosed will live at least ten years after their diagnosis. That gives hope to this devastating disease.
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