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Miranda McKeon, the 19-year-old star of “Anne With an E”, said she felt like she was in her own movie when diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
McKeon was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer after feeling an unusual lump in her breast.
“I think it’s one of those cinematic moments in someone’s life,” McKeon said of her diagnosis in an interview with ABC News’ Kaylee Hartung Tuesday on “Good Morning America.” “I just didn’t feel like it was real.”
Before McKeon could begin chemotherapy to treat her cancer, she had to deal with a potential complication of treatment, her fertility.
“It was explained to me that with chemotherapy treatment there is a risk of infertility down the line,” she said. “And fertility was not something I had ever considered.”
McKeon said she went through the process of injecting hormones and freezing her eggs, which she calls a “preventative safety net” in case she is not able to conceive naturally later on.
She then began chemotherapy and has now completed six cycles of treatment.
“I spend every other Tuesday at the clinic while my friends are in class,” she said. “I’d rather be in class. I’d rather do a lot of different things. But that’s my job right now.”
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McKeon documented his battle with cancer on Instagram, sharing his journey with his followers.
“I think I put my head down and I was like, ‘You know what? We’re going to keep this on a positive track because it might turn black quickly,'” she said. “But that’s not where I need to live, squat and go through this.”
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Women under 40 account for just 4% of breast cancer cases in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.
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In women in the young adult and adolescent age group, however, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosis, according to Dr. Niki Patel, assistant professor in the division of medical and research oncology. therapy at City of Hope, a cancer research center. and processing center in Los Angeles.
“The diagnosis is a little different,” Patel said of younger women. “In fact, we rely less on mammograms and more on ultrasound and breast MRI scans, and that’s really because younger women tend to have denser breasts and so you may not see as much detail. on a mammogram, while you can get those details on an MRI. “
Patel, who participates in McKeon’s treatment, said younger women also tend to have more aggressive breast cancers.
“When we work them out, we’re more likely to do additional tests like CT scans, bone scans, CT scans to try to figure out what their cancer is doing,” she told ABC News. “Plus, we’re much more likely to order genetic tests… to diagnose a mutation that can cause breast cancer.”
The two BRCA genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) normally help protect women against cancer, however, some women can have mutations in their BRCA genes, which can actually lead to cancer, according to the CDC. If left untreated, women with a BRCA gene mutation are at least seven times more likely to develop breast cancer before age 70, compared to women without genetic mutations, according to the CDC.
Women are recommended to start having an annual mammogram at age 40, or even earlier if they have risks such as a family history of breast cancer, according to Dr Eleonora Teplinsky, head of breast medical oncology at. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. At New York.
In addition to getting the recommended screenings, Teplinsky said women need to take care of their bodies and defend their own health.
“What I’m trying to convey is that you know your body best, and it’s our job for all of us to make sure we get the care we need,” she said. , adding that it means “know when something is wrong. I don’t feel good about your body [and] educate yourself on what seems normal to you. “
“If you have a lump or a lump, fight back to get the workup you need, even if someone can tell you, ‘I think it’s an infection,’” Teplinsky added. “If you’re worried and don’t think it’s an infection, speak up. “
Actress opens up about battling stage 3 breast cancer at age 19, originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com
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