The statistic is startling according to the American Cancer Society, one out of every eight women will develop breast cancer at some point in their life. Early detection is key, but the pandemic has caused some women to put off their yearly screening.

Sharon Faucher, of Southington, is one of those women. She finally went in May of this year, only to discover there was an issue. The radiologist comes in and explains to me that I have three areas of concern and that they need to do a biopsy and testing. Faucher was then diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer. A devastating blow for the 66 year old, who was also diagnosed with breast cancer back in 1995 and underwent a mastectomy.

The emotion was so different than the first time. Back then, I was scared. This time I was not only scared, but I was angry.

Faucher had a mastectomy in June and credits the team of professionals at the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute at The Hospital of Central Connecticut (HOCC) with saving her life and walking her through the process.

Dr. April Duckworth is an angel of an angel. She was right by my side the whole time, Faucher explained.

Dr. Duckworth, breast surgeon at The Hospital of Central Connecticut, says the pandemic has impacted some of the cases shes seeing. It seems since COVID started, people are presenting with more advanced disease because they felt a lump during the height of the pandemic and werent able to get in to see their doctor or they were hesitant to go to imaging facilities to be seen, said Duckworth.

Dr. Duckworth says women should start getting an annual mammogram at age 40, but for those with a family history of the disease, they should consult with their doctor and start screenings even earlier.

If you do have a family history, take the age of the youngest person who was diagnosed and subtract 10 years from their age. Thats when you should at least start getting a clinical breast exam, said Duckworth.

Faucher says there was no lump associated with her most recent diagnosis, which is why women need to schedule their yearly screenings. Thats why its so important to get the appropriate screenings before its the size of something that you can feel. The earlier you catch something, the better the outcome. If its small you can treat it with surgery and the less likely you are of having to go through chemotherapy, said Dr. Duckworth.

Faucher encourages every women to be mindful of their health and make sure they are being proactive. Just get your mammogram. Im telling you, it can save your life, she said. I cant say enough about Hartford HealthCare. Im in awe and I thank everyone who was part of my recovery.

Dr. April Duckworth is a breast surgeon with The Hospital of Central Connecticut. For more information, call 860.224.5416 or visit http://www.hartfordhealthcare.org/breastcancer

Link:
HEALTHY LIVING: Breast cancer patient shares story of survival; credits Hartford HealthCare with her recovery - The Bristol Press