Central Carolina HEALTH - Fall 2010 - (Page 7)

rneyof Battling breast cancer only made Kimberly McLean’s faith grow stronger Faith. Spirituality. Hope. These are everyday words spoken by 34-year-old Kimberly McLean. Courage. Strength. Inspiration. These are words friends, family and doctors use to describe Kim and her personal fight against breast cancer. Kim’s incredible journey of faith and healing began last February. As she was getting ready to go to work, she discovered a lump in her right breast. “I was showering that morning, and I felt a large, hard knot—like a rock—and I knew what it was,” she says. That morning, she called her family doctor to make an appointment. When asked the reason for the appointment, she told the receptionist, “I have breast cancer.” Although Kim had not yet been diagnosed, she wasn’t at all surprised when her diagnostic mammogram came back positive. She was then referred to board-certified general surgeon Michael Gordon, MD, who performed a fine needle aspiration biopsy to determine the extent of the cancer. The news couldn’t be any worse: Kim tested positive for invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Kim had never before had a mammogram, and statistically speaking, she had no need. She was under 40 years old—the age recommended for a woman’s first screening mammogram—she had no family history of breast cancer, and she regularly performed breast self-exams. The only symptom she had was severe pain in her lower back, for which she had been seeking treatment since December. hope on the horizon Researchers are constantly seeking to improve technology and provide better care for patients. Here are two new breast cancer imaging methods to keep on your radar: Scintimammography (molecular breast imaging) In scintimammography, a slightly radioactive tracer is injected into a vein. The tracer attaches to breast cancer cells and is detected by a special camera. This is a new technique. Some radiologists believe it is useful for looking at suspicious areas found by regular mammograms, but its exact role remains unclear. Current research is aimed at improving the technology and evaluating its use in specific situations such as in the dense breasts of younger women. Some early studies have suggested that it may be almost as accurate as more expensive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. This test will not replace your usual screening mammogram. Tomosynthesis (3-D mammography) This technology is an extension of a digital mammogram. For this test, a woman lies face down on a table that has a hole for the breasts, and a machine takes X-rays as it rotates around the breast. Tomosynthesis allows breasts to be viewed as many thin slices, which can be combined into a three-dimensional picture. It may allow doctors to detect smaller lesions that would otherwise be hidden during standard mammograms. This technology is still considered experimental and is not yet available. Source: www.cancer.org FA L L 2 0 1 0 | 7 Smart Move The next step was to schedule her surgery at Central Carolina Hospital. Because of the severity of her cancer, her out-of-town family urged her to go to one of the national cancer centers they had seen advertised on TV. Kim reassured them that she was making the right decision. “I told them, ‘I have everything I need right here.’ I told them, ‘Trust me. I have the best doctors in the world here. This is my life, and I’m getting the best care,’ ” Kim says. http://www.cancer.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Central Carolina HEALTH - Fall 2010

Central Carolina HEALTH - Fall 2010
Contents
Health Beat
Journey of Hope
Treats Not Tricks
Surgery Snapshot
Heart Smart
Q+A

Central Carolina HEALTH - Fall 2010