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Sarah McLean was only 26 years old when a self-examination revealed a mass that was later diagnosed as breast cancer.
McLean was 19 years younger than the age recommended by the American Cancer Society (ACS) for women who begin to undergo a mammogram, and the self-examination she claims to have saved the life is no longer recommended by the ACS.
The breast cancer survivor was twice at the St. Mary's Women's Imaging Center, 316 W. Garriott, on Friday for the "Think Pink" luncheon, to raise awareness about breast cancer and breast cancer. Encourage women to be proactive about health.
Rescue Tips
McLean said that she and her husband had only been married for about a year when she discovered this first mass in 2003. After her diagnosis, she followed a long period of radiation therapy, hormone therapy , double mastectomy and multiple reconstructive surgeries.
Despite a double mastectomy, McLean had a recurrence of breast cancer in 2011. More treatments followed and more surgeries – she has now undergone 13 surgeries in total to remove the cancerous tissue and rebuild the affected areas.
Looking back on her experience, McLean gives medical advice to save her life.
At the age of 18, McLean's doctor recommended that she begin a regular breast self-examination. She followed this advice and said that it was self-examination that led to the discovery and treatment of her breast cancer.
Dr. Emily Cooper, MD, a family physician at St. Mary's Physician Associates and lunch facilitator "Think Pink," said that McLean's story underscored the importance of following guidelines on breast cancer screening and to allow women to know their family history. Proactive on their health care and have an annual checkup with their doctor.
Change the guidelines
The guidelines for breast cancer examination have changed in recent years, pushing mammography recommendations to later years, farther from McLean's diagnosis.
According to CSA guidelines, all women should start having an annual mammogram at age 45, if they wish, be available at age 40 and be able to undergo a mammogram every two years from age 55. According to ACS figures, less than five percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer are under 40 years of age.
While McLean recognizes that her breast self-examination has led her to detect and successfully treat her cancer, new medical guidelines are also moving women away from self-examination.
Breast self-examination, which has long been a mainstay of early detection recommendations for women, is no longer recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the US. ACS.
The ACOG has amended the guidelines last summer by citing the stress placed on women during fake breast exams.
"Breast self-examination is not recommended in mid-risk women," ACOG said in a July 2017 bulletin, "because there is a risk of harm due to false positive test results and a lack of evidence of benefit. "
ACS also changed its recommendations to not recommend self-exams, effectively reversing the course of years of marketing campaigns urging women to perform breast self-exams.
Recommendations regarding physical breast examinations by a physician are also less clear.
The July 2017 ACOG newsletter states that ACOG, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, ACS, and the US Task Force on Conflict Prevention Services have contradictory guidelines on the timeliness of perform clinical breast examinations in women at average risk of breast cancer.
Be your own lawyer
Faced with changing and even contradictory recommendations on breast exams, Cooper said it was increasingly important for women to take charge of their health and collaborate with their doctor.
"Know your story, your body, have an open dialogue with your doctor and be proactive about your health," said Cooper.
While ACS and ACOG may have changed their guidelines for breast self-examination, McLean remains adamant in recommending that women "know their bodies".
"It's really important for you to know your own fabric," said McLean, "and to be your own lawyer."
Offer support
Based on her experience with breast cancer, McLean founded in 2007, between her two breast cancer cases, Project 31, a non-profit faith-based advocacy group for breast cancer patients and their families. survivors.
"Because of the emotional ups and downs of the treatment process, we discovered that there were not many resources available," McLean said.
She said that support is needed not only for breast cancer patients, but also for all people in their lives.
"Cancer does not affect that survivor," McLean said. "It affects their partner and the whole family, it's a training effect."
McLean said that her faith helped her through cancer treatments and brought her to Project 31 to help others.
She said that she had initially avoided support groups because "I had stereotypical support groups as being a toxic environment of gloom and despair", and she worked at the creation of an environment conducive to "education, equipment and empowerment of women".
Since 2007, Project 31 has become a presence in 10 hospitals in Oklahoma City, Stillwater and Tulsa, with more than 800 women in support groups this year.
McLean said that all these women share an unwanted but undeniable link.
"It's an unlikely fraternity that you would not want to join," she said, "but there is definitely a common bond once you've gone."
For more information on Project 31, visit project31.com.
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