Breast Cancer Scares Me to Death

Thursday, October 11th, 2007, 10:50 am

Deborah Fine, President, iVillage Properties 

Despite the fact that I surely know better -- far, far better, actually -- I have to admit that the thought of breast cancer scares me to death. And the thought of a breast self exam -- and actually FINDING something, does the same.

I remember as if it were yesterday when my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Not once. Twice. In the end it's probably not what she succumbed to. But, as a teenager standing with her in the hallway of her suburban hospital while she attempted to do her post-mastectomy exercise of climbing her fingers itsy-bitsy-spider-style up the wall, I was literally scared to death.

What scared me even more was the reality of seeing her scar. After all, this was a woman who loved her jewelry -- wearing ALL of it frankly -- and at the same time!

It turns out I'm not the only woman out there dreading the diagnosis of breast cancer. On the iVillage Breast Cancer Support board, women report that they're "worried to the point of tears," "nervous" about finding a lump, scared about their scheduled lumpectomy. Still other iVillagers have triumphed over breast cancer as you can see in our survivors' photo gallery.

The American Cancer Society reports that the number of women getting routine mammograms has fallen 2%, which means that fewer women are being diagnosed. A recent iVillage Index poll reveals that 63% of respondents answer "yes" to having ever skipped a yearly mammogram. Why are women not getting screened? Past research indicates they're unaware they should start screening at age 40, they don't have the funds or access to health centers that screen and they feel it "won't happen to them."

When asked in a national poll about the influence of lifestyle choices on preventing heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, breast cancer and depression, the majority of women feels that breast cancer is more the result of "luck of the draw" vs. lifestyle choices that they make.

While there are no known ways to PREVENT breast cancer, there are ways to reduce the risk of the disease advancing to a stage that's incurable. I urge you to:

- Have a clinical breast exam every three years (if you are under the age of 40)

- Get a mammogram every one to two years after age 40 (or possibly sooner or more often if you're at higher risk for developing breast cancer)

I'm no longer the traumatized young teen in the hallway outside my grandmother's hospital room. I'm now a wife, mother, executive, aunt, philanthropist. I've had my own share of health scares. I'm religious about mammograms and sonograms, and I hope you are too. After all, there's much to be said for catching breast cancer before it develops into a full-blown disease. Just adding routine tests to your yearly doctors' visits can make a difference.

My kids are the ones who motivate me to get screened. My younger guy asks me periodically if a newscast triggers the thought, "hey mom, did you get the boob-o-gram?"

"Yes, Jake." Indeed I did.

Love, mom

P.S. Be sure to check out our five steps to healthier breasts