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(WXYZ) – Ellyn Davidson has been cancer free for 11 years, but she shares her experience with breast cancer in hopes of helping others.
"I was 36. I had just finished breastfeeding my third child and found a lump," she says.
At the time, she was not worried about cancer because she thought she was too young. She always went to the doctor, but a mammogram and an ultrasound showed nothing. When the surgeon removed the mass, it was a cancer. Davidson was immediately sent for genetic testing because of his young age. After that, she learned that she had the BRCA gene mutation, often associated with hereditary cancer.
Davidson says she was completely unaware of her family history, but since her diagnosis, she has been a tireless advocate of hereditary cancer awareness. She says that it is essential to know your family history and your risk factors.
"If I had known that I had a mutation, I could have avoided a cancer diagnosis or been diagnosed earlier," she says.
Melissa Mally, 34, also a homemaker in Huntington Woods, says her aunt has died of ovarian cancer. She was tested to see if she had the BRCA gene mutation. She had a positive test at the age of 25. Since then, she carries out preventive screenings.
"Unfortunately, I was diagnosed, but it was stage 1A, very, very early, so I'm lucky to look for it.My cancer is nothing but I would have never felt because it was so small, "says Mally.
This early detection helped him fight cancer quickly. Mally just finished her chemotherapy in July and is doing very well. She and Davidson, who both have different stories, have the same message. Knowledge is a power that could save your life.
"Be your own lawyer," says Davidson.
To learn more about National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Week, 9/30 to 10/6, visit: http://www.facingourrisk.org/index.php
October is also National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
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