Breast cancer and Susan G. Komen

4 The Record: Breast cancer and Susan G. Komen

Updated: 11:30 AM EDT May 19, 2024

WELCOME TO FOR THE RECORD, I’M SHANNON PERRINE. THIS MORNING WE FOCUS ON BREAST CANCER. ACCORDING TO THE CDC, IT IS THE SECOND MOST COMMON CANCER AMONG WOMEN IN THE U.S. ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS ADVOCATING FOR PATIENTS AND A CURE IS SUSAN G. KOMEN. TODAY WE ARE LOOKING AT THE RESEARCH BEING DONE AND SPEAKING WITH TWO WOMEN PERSONALLY IMPACTED BY THE DISEASE. ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, BREAST CANCER ACCOUNTS FOR 1 IN 3 OF ALL NEW FEMALE CANCERS EACH YEAR. PITTSBURGH IS PLAYING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN LOWERING THAT STATISTIC AND CURING THE DISEASE IN PITTSBURGH. SHOULD BE PROUD THAT THESE ARE ALL MOST OF THE MAJOR ADVANCES IN BREAST CANCER HAVE COME FROM THE PITTSBURGH REGION. I SPOKE WITH A RESEARCHER ABOUT THE ADVANCEMENTS IN BREAST CANCER TREATMENT AND PREVENTION, PLUS THE DIAGNOSIS THAT ROCKED A LOCAL WOMAN’S WORLD AFTER SHE FOUND SOMETHING ODD DURING A SELF-EXAM. I WOULD NEVER THINK IN A MILLION YEARS TO EVEN THINK I WOULD TO GET TESTED, OR THAT I WOULD HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY OF THIS BECAUSE WE’VE NEVER HAD IT. I SAT DOWN WITH A BREAST CANCER PATIENT ABOUT HER DAILY BATTLE AND HER PUSH FOR MORE AWARENESS TO SAVE OTHERS, AND TAKING ON A NEW KIND OF FIGHT. ONE FOR REAL CHANGE IN PENNSYLVANIA. THIS WHOLE PATH KIND OF CATAPULTED ME INTO BEING INTERESTED IN ADVOCACY WORK. WE HEAR FROM A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR ABOUT MAKING TREATMENT MORE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE. WTAE CHANNEL FOUR IS A PROUD SPONSOR OF THE KOMEN MORE THAN PINK WALK, WHICH JUST WRAPPED UP IN SCHENLEY PARK THIS MORNING. EVERY YEAR, THE WALK BRINGS BREAST CANCER FIGHTERS, SURVIVORS AND FAMILIES TOGETHER TO INCREASE AWARENESS, OFFER SUPPORT AND RAISE MONEY FOR A CURE. I SAT DOWN WITH A MEMBER OF ITS SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COUNCIL, DOCTOR ADRIAN LEE. HE SHARED THE RESEARCH BEING DONE AND THE STRIDES MADE. YOU’VE BEEN STUDYING, RESEARCHING BREAST CANCER FOR FOR A LONG TIME. A LONG TIME, ABOUT 30 YEARS PROBABLY, I WOULD GUESS 30 YEARS. 30 YEARS. AND WHY? WHY DID YOU GO INTO THAT LINE OF WORK? I THINK LIKE MANY PEOPLE, I’D FINISHED MY EDUCATION. I WAS INTERESTED IN IN TAKING A RESEARCH JOB, AND I GOT THIS JOB STUDYING BREAST CANCER, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS FASCINATING. I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE MY MIND AND APPLY IT TO SOMETHING THAT HELPS OTHERS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE’VE SEEN INCREDIBLE, YOU KNOW, IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAST CANCER OUTCOMES. AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN HOPEFULLY CONTRIBUTE TO THAT. AND HOW IS PITTSBURGH PART OF OF OF THAT STORY FOR YOU THAT 30 YEARS IS A LONG TIME. IT’S A GOOD PERSPECTIVE ON HOW MUCH THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND PROBABLY NO ONE SEEING IT BETTER THAN SOMEONE LIKE YOURSELF. UH, WHAT’S WHAT WHAT WHAT ARE THE BIG STANDOUTS TO YOU IN THAT TIME ABOUT ADVANCING ADVANCING THE RESEARCH? AND I’M SURE YOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN THIS CHANGE AS WELL. SO WE’VE SEEN THIS EVOLUTION TO PERSONALIZING THERAPY. THE FIRST OF THAT WHICH HAPPENED ACTUALLY IN PITTSBURGH WAS ACTUALLY THE MOVEMENT OF THIS. WHAT WAS A RADICAL MASTECTOMY WHEN SURGEONS WERE JUST TRYING TO CUT OFF MORE AND MORE AND MORE, HOPING THAT WOULD IMPROVE. AND IT WAS DEBILITATING. AND SOME WOMEN ACTUALLY PASSED AWAY FROM THE ACTUAL SURGERY TO THE MOVEMENT TO A LUMPECTOMY, TAKING OUT JUST THESE SMALL TUMOR ITSELF, NOT THE WHOLE OF THE BREAST THAT WAS PIONEERED HERE BY BERNIE FISHER. AND THERE WAS LOTS OF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF RESISTANCE TO THAT BY MANY SURGEONS. AND HE HAD A REAL STRUGGLE. BUT THAT TRANSFORMED THE SURGERY FOR WOMEN COMPLETELY, AND IT MADE IT MUCH MORE PERSONAL TO THE TYPE OF TUMOR THEY HAVE. AND THE RISK THEY HAVE. IT MADE IT MORE EFFECTIVE OF. YES, EXACTLY. OUTCOMES. SO THE NEARLY THE SAME. AND IT WAS THEY WERE GETTING A MUCH LESS SURGERY. AND WE ACTUALLY NOW WORK A LOT WITH SURGEONS TO TRY AND MOVE THAT EVEN FURTHER. WE’VE REALLY IMPROVED OUR ABILITY TO GIVE SURGERY TECHNIQUES. THAT’S JUST SPECIFIC FOR THE PATIENT. AND THAT HAS IMPROVED IN ALL OF THESE AREAS. PITTSBURGH IS ALL FAMOUS AS WELL, BECAUSE ONE OF THE MAJOR TESTS THAT PREDICTS WHETHER A MAN OR WOMAN NEEDS CHEMOTHERAPY OR NOT WAS DEVELOPED HERE IN PITTSBURGH AS WELL BY A FOUNDATION CALLED THE NSABP. SO, SO THESE ARE ALL, YOU KNOW, PITTSBURGH SHOULD BE PROUD THAT THESE ARE ALL MOST OF THE MAJOR ADVANCES IN BREAST CANCER HAVE COME FROM THE PITTSBURGH REGION. THE CONCEPT OF THE PERSONALIZED THERAPY AND TREATMENT FOR AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON. CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF THAT? AN EXAMPLE. SO THIS IS I ACTUALLY I’M A DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR PRECISION MEDICINE, WHICH IS EXACTLY THIS. WE TAKE PRECISION MEDICINE RESEARCH AND TURN THAT INTO PERSONALIZED HEALTH CARE. AND THAT’S AN EXAMPLE. NO TWO BREAST CANCERS ARE THE SAME, JUST LIKE WE ARE DIFFERENT. OUR FINGERPRINTS ARE DIFFERENT. OUR GENETICS ARE DIFFERENT. SO WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE INDIVIDUAL FEATURES OF EVERYONE’S TUMORS. SOME MAY HAVE, FOR INSTANCE, THE HER2 MARKER. AND THEY CAN RECEIVE DRUGS AGAINST HER2. SOME MAY MAY HAVE THE ESTROGEN RECEPTOR AND CAN HAVE DRUGS AGAINST ESTROGEN RECEPTOR. AND AS RESEARCH HAS BECOME MUCH MORE POWERFUL, WE’RE ABLE TO DISSECT OUT THESE DIFFERENT FEATURES. JUST LIKE YOU AND I ARE DIFFERENT AND THEN GIVE DRUGS SPECIFICALLY FOR IT. SO WE DON’T GET THE SAME DRUGS BECAUSE WE HAVE DIFFERENT GENETICS AND WE METABOLIZE THEM DIFFERENT. AND SO WE CAN DO THAT IN TUMORS. WE CAN REALLY TRY TO UNDERSTAND WE HAVE VERY NOW SPECIFIC, FOR INSTANCE, DIAGNOSTIC TESTS SPECIFIC FOR INDIVIDUALS. AND HOW MEANINGFUL IS THAT TO PEOPLE HERE IN PITTSBURGH AND REALLY AROUND THE WORLD. YEAH. WELL I THINK, YOU KNOW, PITTSBURGH SHOULD BE PROUD OF THIS. AND I THINK WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE I’M AT THE UPMC HILLMAN CANCER CENTER AND MAGEE-WOMEN’S RESEARCH INSTITUTE. WE HAVE A COLLABORATION THAT’S DEVELOPED ONE OF THE STRONGEST BREAST CANCER PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY AND MAYBE IN THE WORLD. AND THIS IS THEN DELIVERED TO THE PATIENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO MANY OF OUR CLINICAL TRIALS HAPPEN IN, IN, IN THE, YOU KNOW, THE LARGE WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA REGION. AND THEN IN SOME OF THE OTHER HOSPITALS IN THE OTHER STATES AS WELL. SO WHAT WE LEARN IN RESEARCH IS BEING DELIVERED TO THOSE PATIENTS WITH THE BEST CARE THAT THEY CAN GET. AND EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT PEOPLE WITH CANCER WHO GO TO CANCER CENTERS DO BETTER THAN THOSE NOT SO I THINK PITTSBURGH IS LUCKY TO HAVE THIS, AND THEY SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. A LOT OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO SOUNDS LIKE IT IS. ONCE A PERSON HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AND THEY HAVE RECEIVED THAT DIAGNOSIS, HOW MUCH DO YOU DO? ANY WORK THAT FOCUSES ON PREVENTATIVE CARE AND FINDING THOSE GENES AND FINDING THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE AT A GREATER RISK, RISKS THAT WE DIDN’T KNOW THEY WERE REALLY EXPOSED TO BEFORE? YEAH. SO THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION. SO WE, AS YOU SAID, FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE WHO DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER. AND THEN ADVANCED DISEASE, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE PATIENTS THAT ARE DYING FROM THE DISEASE. WE HAVE OVER 40,000 DEATHS A YEAR. UNFORTUNATELY, IN THE US THAT’S DECLINED. LIKE 40% IN THE LAST 30 YEARS. SO THAT’S A MAJOR SUCCESS STORY. BUT 40,000 IS TOO MUCH. SO WE WORK ON THAT. BUT OTHERS ARE FOCUSING ACTUALLY IN OUR SYSTEM ON EARLY DETECTION AND PREVENTION. SO WITH EARLY DETECTION WE HAVE MAMMOGRAPHY SCREENING NEW WAYS FOR MAMMOGRAPHY. WE HAVE THESE THINGS CALLED LIQUID BIOPSIES WHERE WE CAN TAKE BLOOD ASSAYS. NOW TO TRY AND FIND EARLY DISEASE. SO THAT’S KEY. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY PREVENTION WE HAVE A PREVENTION TRIAL THAT JUST OPENED LAST YEAR FUNDED BY DIANA NAPA. AND THE GLIMMER OF HOPE THAT’S RUN OUT OF UPMC MAGEE-WOMEN’S HOSPITAL. AND THAT’S REALLY A WAY TO TRY AND SEE IF WE CAN VACCINATE INDIVIDUALS AGAINST BREAST CANCER. WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN TO SOMEBODY LIKE YOU WHO STUDIED THIS? TO HAVE A VACCINE MEAN FOR BREAST CANCER? YEAH. SO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE HOLY GRAIL IS BOTH PREVENTION AND EARLY DETECTION. THERE IS INCREDIBLY HARD. WE’VE BEEN WORKING FOR MANY YEARS, BUT MY GUESS IS THAT WE’VE REALLY COME TO THIS MECCA NOW OF 30 YEARS OF AN INVESTMENT IN CANCER RESEARCH. WE HAD THE WAR ON CANCER, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT REALLY PUT LOTS OF INVESTMENT IN THIS. WE’VE UNDERSTOOD SO MUCH AS JUST A VERY QUICK EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING WE’RE DOING THAT’S REALLY INCREDIBLE. WE CAN TAKE SOMEONE’S TUMOR, SEQUENCE IT TO FIND THE EXACT CHANGES IN IT, AND THEN MEASURE THOSE THINGS IN THEIR BLOOD USING A PERSONALIZED ASSAY JUST FOR THEM. AND WE DO THIS NOW PRETTY ROUTINELY. SO THAT’S AN EXAMPLE OF THIS. WE’RE GOING TO DEVELOP A TEST SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT PERSON FOR THEIR DISEASE RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, TREATING EVERYONE THE SAME. WE CAN NOW PERSONALIZE STILL AHEAD ON FOR THE RECORD, IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN, YOU KNOW, AFTER MY SECOND CHILD, I COULD HAVE DONE THINGS DIFFERENTLY. I COULD HAVE HAD MAYBE A MAMMOGRAM SOONER. THE LOCAL WOMAN FIGHTING BREAST CANCER RIGHT NOW, SHE EXPLAINS WHY AWARENESS OF THE DISEASE IS VITAL IN SAVING LIVES AND WHAT SHE SAYS NEEDS TO CHANGE TO HELP MORE PEOPLE UNCOVER THEIR DIAGNOSIS. EARLY. WELCOME BACK TO FOR THE RECORD. NOW THAT WE’VE HEARD ABOUT THE RESEARCH, WE WANT TO GET THE PERSPECTIVE OF A WOMAN WHO IS ACTIVELY BATTLING BREAST CANCER RIGHT NOW. I SPOKE WITH CASEY LIPINSKI ABOUT LERM NG, HER DIAGNOSIS AND ALL. SHE’S ENDURED SINCE IN THE FIGHT OF AND FOR HER LIFE. BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, FIRST OF ALL, YOUR DIAGNOSIS. SURE. SO TELL ME WHEN YOU GOT THE NEWS AND AND TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU FOUND OUT. I JUST WAS SHOWERING AND I CAME ACROSS SOMETHING AND I’M LIKE, WELL, THAT’S NEW. THEY DID THE DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND AFTER THE MAMMOGRAM AND THEY FOUND THE LUMP, BUT THEY WEREN’T REALLY, LIKE SUPER CONCERNED BY IT. UM, FIBRO SOMETHING. UM, BUT SHE, SHE FOUND AND LIKE A LITTLE BIT SWOLLEN LYMPH NODE AND SHE’S LIKE, I’M TEETERING. I, YOU KNOW, I DON’T KNOW IF I WANT TO BIOPSY THIS, BUT I AM TEETERING I REMEMBER HER DOING THIS. SHE’S LIKE, SO LET’S JUST DO IT. AND I’M LIKE, OKAY. SO THEN WE WENT TO SCHEDULE THAT AND RIGHT AFTER AND THEY WERE TELLING ME THREE WEEKS FOR THAT. AND I’M LIKE, I STARTED HYSTERICALLY CRYING. I’M LIKE, I, I’M AN OVERTHINKER. I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO WAIT THREE WEEKS. NO, I NEED IT TODAY. YEAH. SHE GOT IT DONE THE NEXT MORNING. RIGHT THEN THAT THEY TOLD ME 7 TO 10 DAYS. I GOT THE NEWS ON FRIDAY. THAT FRIDAY, WHAT DID THEY SAY? CASEY? UM, CALLING IT DOES LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE CANCER HERE. UM, SHE DID, AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, IN BOTH AREAS BECAUSE THEY DID A BIOPSY OF THE LUMP AND THE LYMPH NODE AND SHE SAID YES, IN BOTH. AND, YOU KNOW, I’M JUST LIKE STARTING MY PANIC ATTACK AND I’M LIKE, BUT YOU CAUGHT IT EARLY, RIGHT? AND SHE WAS LIKE THE THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THAT YOU FOUND IT. WHAT IS YOUR PROGNOSIS NOW? SO IT IS STAGE TWO LIKE EARLY STAGE TWO. UM, AND I HAVE 12 WEEKS OF CHEMO. THEN WEEKLY, AND THEN I HAVE FOUR WEEKS OF ANOTHER TYPE OF CHEMO EVERY OTHER WEEK. STRONGER. THEN I WILL HAVE A MONTH OFF, A DOUBLE MASTECTOMY, UM, AND THEN POTENTIALLY RADIATION. I DO HAVE THE BRCA TWO GENE. DID YOU KNOW THAT BEFORE? NO IDEA. AND NO HISTORY? NO FAMILY HISTORY THAT I KNEW OF? UM, NO FAMILY BREAST CANCER. UM, MY ONCOLOGIST WAS LIKE, WE DON’T THINK. YOU WILL HAVE BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, I’M SO YOUNG, HOW COULD I? I WAS 38 WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED. I TURNED 39 TWO WEEKS LATER. UM, BUT I WOULD NEVER THINK IN A MILLION YEARS TO EVEN THINK I WOULD TO GET TESTED OR THAT I WOULD HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY OF THIS BECAUSE WE’VE NEVER HAD IT. YOU REALLY HAD TO ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF. UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR DOCTORS WERE ARE ON IT. YEAH. AND AIRED ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION. THANK GOD. BUT RIGHT. YOU HAD YOU HAD NOT HAD A MAMMOGRAM YET. NO. BECAUSE YOU WERE TOO YOUNG FOR THE RECOMMENDED RIGHT. MAMMOGRAM. MY DAD HAD PROSTATE CANCER 17 YEARS AGO. AND THERE’S A LINK WITH BARAKA TOO, BETWEEN PROSTATE AND IF YOU HAVE BRCA TWO GENE, YOU HAVE A HIGHER RISK FOR DEVELOPING PROSTATE CANCER AS WELL AS BREAST CANCER. SO. SO I ASKED THE GENETICS COUNSELOR, WHY WASN’T MY DAD MADE AWARE OF THIS 17 YEARS AGO? THE CONNECTION RIGHT. BECAUSE IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN YOU KNOW, AFTER MY SECOND CHILD, I COULD HAVE DONE THINGS DIFFERENTLY. I COULD HAVE HAD MAYBE A MAMMOGRAM SOONER OR CHOSE TO DO A DOUBLE MASTECTOMY PRIOR TO ALL OF THIS HAPPENING. AND MY GENETICS COUNSELOR EXPLAINED THAT 17 YEARS AGO, NUMBER ONE, MY DAD HAD NO FAMILY HISTORY OF BREAST CANCER THAT HE WAS AWARE OF. AND 17 YEARS AGO, THE KNOWLEDGE WASN’T THERE. UM, SO IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT RIGHT NOW TO SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT THAT FACT, HOW ELSE COULD WE FIND THESE CANCERS OR THE RISK OF THESE CANCERS? EARLIER? I JUST THINK THAT I WOULD THINK THAT KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GO TO OUR OBGYN, YOU KNOW, THERE’S A CHECKLIST THAT YOU FILL OUT AND, YOU KNOW, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, PRIOR TO ALL OF THIS, ALL I KNEW IN MY FAMILY WAS MY DAD’S PROSTATE CANCER. AND I ALWAYS WROTE THAT DOWN WHEN WHEN YOU SEE THAT THE GENETIC TESTING SHOULD BE THERE BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT BRCA TWO NOW. UM, AND I WORRY THAT IT’S IN SURANCE, UM, COVERAGE THAT HASN’T GOTTEN UP TO SPEED WITH THAT YET. AND THAT’S WHERE I THINK WE NEED TO DO BETTER. AND, YOU KNOW, I HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO GET MYSELF TO TREATMENTS, AND I HAVE THIS AMAZING SUPPORT SYSTEM. UM, BUT I HAVE SEEN AT MY TREATMENT AT MY AT MY MRI, I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOTHING AND I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY’RE GOING TO GET TO THEIR NEXT APPOINTMENT. AND IT’S DEVASTATING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MONEY GOES TOWARD. UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE WOMEN YOU SEE WHO DON’T HAVE THE SAME SUPPORT NETWORK THAT YOU DO IN THE SAME RESOURCES THAT YOU DO. UM, UM, THE FACT THAT THAT KOMEN AND ALL THESE VOLUNTEERS AND FUNDRAISERS ARE WORKING TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE MORE THAN PINK WALK MEANS THAT THOSE PATIENTS WILL GET WHAT THEY NEED. WHAT THEY NEED? YEAH. HOW MEANINGFUL IS THAT TO YOU? IT’S IT’S INCREDIBLE. I ACTUALLY SEE SO MUCH LIKE IN THE TREATMENT CENTER, UM, JUST LIKE THE THE WAY THEY TAKE CARE OF US IS REALLY INCREDIBLE. STILL AHEAD ON FOR THE RECORD, THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS CATCH IT AS EARLY AS WE CAN AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO CATCH IT AS EARLY AS WE CAN. THE LOCAL WOMAN WHO BEAT BREAST CANCER TALKS ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE FROM DIAGNOSIS TO REMISSION, AND WHY SHE SAYS SHE’S NOW FIGHTING FOR OTHERS BEFORE STATE LAWMAKERS IN HARRISBURG. WELCOME BACK TO FOR THE RECORD. NOW WE WANT TO HEAR FROM A WOMAN WHO KNOWS WHAT CASEY LIPINSKI IS GOING THROUGH, A WOMAN WHO TOOK ON BREAST CANCER AND WON OUR KRISTEN POWERS INTRODUCED US TO JEN CADMAN TO LEARN HOW SHE’S NOW TAKING A NEW FIGHT TO THE STATE CAPITOL. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR BREAST CANCER JOURNEY? WHEN DID YOU FIRST LEARN YOU HAD BREAST CANCER? YEAH, SO I ACTUALLY FOUND THE LUMP ON MY OWN, UM, A LITTLE BIT BEFORE MY 38TH BIRTHDAY. I DID GET IT LOOKED AT ABOUT A MONTH LATER, UM, AND VERY QUICKLY WAS FORCED INTO A WORLD WIND OF APPOINTMENTS AND TESTS AND DECISIONS THAT I HAD TO MAKE. I WAS IN FOR A SCREENING MAMMOGRAM ONE DAY, IN FOR AN ULTRASOUND THE VERY NEXT DAY, DIAGNOSED OFFICIALLY ABOUT TWO DAYS LATER, AND THEN IN WITH THE SURGEON WITHIN A WEEK OF THAT TIME. AND THEN KIND OF GOING THROUGH SOME THINGS, UM, GENETIC TESTING AND OTHER THINGS THAT HELP ME MAKE DECISIONS. AND SO I WAS HAVING MY SURGERY ABOUT A MONTH AFTER OFFICIALLY BEING DIAGNOSED. SO ALL VERY FAST WHEN YOU HAD TIME TO ACTUALLY REFLECT ON THAT TIME, WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR YOUR MIND, WERE YOU SCARED? DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? UH, LOTS OF QUESTIONS. UM, THERE WERE A LOT OF UNKNOWNS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, HONESTLY. AND, YOU KNOW, THE ACTUAL SURGERY PART WAS NOT ANYTHING I WAS ALL THAT CONCERNED ABOUT. I’D ACTUALLY NEVER HAD SURGERY BEFORE, THOUGH, SO IT WAS MY FIRST TIME IN A HOSPITAL, SO IT WAS A LITTLE BIT SCARED ABOUT THAT. UM, BUT I ALSO, AGAIN, I DIDN’T KNOW A LOT ABOUT BREAST CANCER PERSONALLY. I DON’T DIDN’T KNOW ANYBODY THAT HAD HAD IT OR GONE THROUGH IT, SO I DIDN’T REALLY HAVE ANYBODY TO ASK QUESTIONS PENS TO AND DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON MY OWN. UM, AND SO THAT’S HOW I LEARNED A LOT OF THINGS. AND, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF LEANED ON MY FRIENDS AND MY FAMILY TO KIND OF HELP ME GET THROUGH EVERYTHING. SO, JEN, WHERE ARE YOU AT IN YOUR CANCER JOURNEY? YOUR RECOVERY? YEAH. SO THIS FALL WILL BE FIVE YEARS SINCE DIAGNOSIS. UM, FEBRUARY 2025 WILL BE FIVE YEARS. UM, FINISHING RADIATION. AND SO I KIND OF CELEBRATE BOTH. YOU KNOW, THE SURGERY WAS LIKE THE REMOVAL OF EVERYTHING. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE CONFIDENT THAT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO REMOVE ALL THE ALL OF THE TUMOR. AND THEN FEBRUARY WAS, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICIAL END OF THE TREATMENT WHERE I RANG THE BELL AND, YOU KNOW, WAS DONE. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WISH OTHER WOMEN, OTHER PEOPLE WOULD KNOW ABOUT BREAST CANCER, THAT MAYBE YOU FOUND OUT LATER ON? YEAH. UM, AND SO THIS WHOLE PATH KIND OF CATAPULTED ME INTO BEING INTERESTED IN ADVOCACY WORK. UM, SUSAN G. KOMEN HAS GIVEN ME AND MANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS A PLATFORM TO LEARN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATION THAT NEEDS TO BE PASSED AND JUST THE PROCESS. RIGHT? SO, AS I SAID EARLIER, EVERYTHING HAPPENED REALLY FAST FOR ME. I MADE A LOT OF DECISIONS, I MADE APPOINTMENTS, I HAD THINGS DONE, AND IT WAS JUST IT WAS FINE. I DIDN’T THINK TWICE ABOUT IT. UM, I MADE MY DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT WAS BEST FOR ME AND NOT AT ALL WORRIED ABOUT THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF IT. I KNEW THAT IT WOULD BE OKAY. YOU KNOW, I HAVE INSURANCE. IT COVERED A GOOD BIT OF IT, AND THEN THE OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES I DIDN’T EVEN THINK TWICE ABOUT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LEARNED THAT THAT’S NOT THAT IS NOT TYPICAL NECESSARILY FOR EVERYBODY. AND THAT REALLY MADE ME SAD. UM, THAT PEOPLE MAY BE PUT OFF TREATMENTS OR EVEN PUT OFF BEING ABLE TO GET DIAGNOSED BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL ASPECTS. UM, AND I DON’T THINK THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE THINK OF AS LIKE A LUXURY. RIGHT? YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO JUST MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEST FOR YOU MEDICALLY. AND SO I’VE KIND OF THROWN MYSELF A LITTLE BIT INTO LEARNING ABOUT THE BILLS THAT KOMEN IS TRYING TO PASS AND DOING WHAT I CAN TO, UM, GO OUT AND TALK TO LEGISLATORS AND EDUCATE THEM ON WHY WE NEED THESE THINGS TO HAPPEN TO HELP AS MANY AMERICANS, WOMEN, YOU KNOW, PENNSYLVANIANS AS WE CAN. AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE BILLS? WHAT ARE YOU FIGHTING FOR? KOMEN EARLIER THIS YEAR INTRODUCED HOUSE BILL 1944. UM, THAT IS SPONSORED BY REPRESENTATIVE GINA CURRIE OUT OF DELAWARE COUNTY. AND IT IS ABOUT COVERING DIAGNOSTIC AND SUPPLEMENTAL IMAGING. SO THERE’S, YOU KNOW, A JOURNEY YOU NEED TO TAKE EVERY I THINK EVERYBODY IS PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH SCREENING MAMMOGRAMS, RIGHT. THEY JUST HAVE LIKE LOWERED THE NATIONAL AGE RATE TO 40. AND THAT’S GREAT. AND I’M GLAD THAT THOSE ARE VERY ACCESSIBLE, ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE IN PENNSYLVANIA. YOU KNOW, GOVERNOR SHAPIRO, JUST LAST MAY SIGNED, UM, SENATE BILL EIGHT, WHICH IS NOW KNOWN AS ACT ONE OF 2023. YOU KNOW, TO MAKE THAT THAT SCREENING MAMMOGRAMS ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYBODY IN PENNSYLVANIA. BUT THERE’S A NEXT STEP, RIGHT? SO IF YOU GET YOUR SCREENING MAMMOGRAM AND IT THERE’S AN ABNORMAL FINDING. IT’S CONCERNING. THEY WANT TO TAKE A DEEPER LOOK. THERE’S A SECOND STEP YOU NEED TO GET. SO YOU CAN’T GET DIAGNOSED JUST FROM THAT. YOU CAN ONLY FIND OUT THAT THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG. AND SO YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT NEXT STEP AND GET THAT DIAGNOSTIC MAMMOGRAM OR ULTRASOUND OR MRI TO GET A BETTER LOOK. AND THAT’S A STEP THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN’T ABLE TO TAKE BECAUSE OF THE OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS. SO. ABOUT 12% OF PEOPLE ESTIMATED ARE GOING TO GET CALLED BACK FOR THAT SECOND MAMMOGRAM. AND PUTTING THAT MAMMOGRAM OFF OR, OR OTHER IMAGING OFF. CAN YOU KNOW, CHANGE YOUR DIAGNOSIS GREATLY. AND SO CATCHING IT EARLY, LIKE, LIKE I WAS ABLE TO GAVE ME SO MANY OPTIONS FOR TREATMENT AND SUCH A GREAT OUTCOME, UM, THAT I, YOU KNOW, I WANT THAT FOR AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE FOR YOU? UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS CAN HAPPEN TO ANYBODY. UM, CANCER DOESN’T DISCRIMINATE. AGE, AGE, RACE, HEALTH. YOU KNOW, UH, FAMILY HISTORY, ANYTHING. I’M SOMEBODY THAT HAS AN A VERY LOW PERCENTAGE OF. WE’RE NOT SURE WHY THIS HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, SO IT CAN LITERALLY HAPPEN TO ANYBODY. AND THE BEST THING WE CAN DO, DO IS CATCH IT AS EARLY AS WE CAN AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO CATCH IT AS EARLY AS WE CAN. YOU’RE WATCHING, FOR THE RECORD, WE’RE BACK RIGHT AFTER THIS. WELCOME BACK TO FOR THE RECORD, IF YOU HAVE A TOPIC YOU’D LIKE US TO ADDRESS, SEND US AN EMAIL TO NEWS AT WTAE DOT COM. YOU CAN ALSO REWATCH THIS EPISODE OR ANY EPISODE WITH THE VERY LOCAL APP ON YOUR SMARTPHONE, YOUR TABLET, OR SMART TV. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND HAVE A GREAT WEEK.

4 The Record: Breast cancer and Susan G. Komen

Updated: 11:30 AM EDT May 19, 2024

WTAE Channel 4 is a proud sponsor of the Komen More Than Pink Walk, aimed at bringing awareness, offering support and raising money for research with the goal of a cure for breast cancer.This week on 4 The Record, we take a look at the research being done – including right here in Pittsburgh – on prevention, treatment and, hopefully, one day a cure.We also hear about the experiences of breast cancer fighters and survivors to learn about their journeys, as well as what they believe needs to change when it comes to preventative care and access to life-saving treatment.Watch the full episode of “4 The Record” in the video aboveSegment One: Dr. Adrian Lee, scientific advisory council, Susan G. KomenSegment Two: Kasey Lipinski, fighting breast cancerSegment Three: Jen Cadman, breast cancer survivor

PITTSBURGH —

WTAE Channel 4 is a proud sponsor of the Komen More Than Pink Walk, aimed at bringing awareness, offering support and raising money for research with the goal of a cure for breast cancer.

This week on 4 The Record, we take a look at the research being done – including right here in Pittsburgh – on prevention, treatment and, hopefully, one day a cure.

We also hear about the experiences of breast cancer fighters and survivors to learn about their journeys, as well as what they believe needs to change when it comes to preventative care and access to life-saving treatment.

Watch the full episode of “4 The Record” in the video above

Segment One: Dr. Adrian Lee, scientific advisory council, Susan G. Komen

Segment Two: Kasey Lipinski, fighting breast cancer

Segment Three: Jen Cadman, breast cancer survivor