Meet Melinda Keane, Burien resident of 56 years, happily married for 36 of them with 2 kids and 5 grandchildren. A hard-working community member and Burien business owner for 25 years who is physically active, on many boards, vibrant and lives life to the fullest. She is happy, healthy, and has no history of breast cancer in her family.

Fast forward to an exceptionally warm day in June 2015 when in the act of putting on her sports bra, Melinda noticed a funny looking indentation on her left breast. Giving herself a quick self-exam in the mirror, she finds a lump.

Four days later Melinda would have a mammogram and the following day a biopsy revealing Stage 1 IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma). About 80 percent of invasive breast cancers are invasive ductal carcinomas, also called infiltrating ductal carcinomas. IDC begins in a duct in the breast and breaks through into the surrounding fatty tissue of the breast. From there, IDC can metastasize (spread) to other parts of the body through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Melinda’s had spread to her lymph.

Melinda had surgery to remove the cancer from her breast and lymph node and treatment began immediately, chemotherapy for 5 months and radiation to follow with 5 years of meds and constant monitoring. Sounds bad but Melinda’s cancer is very common and her doctors tell her that her prognosis is very good because it was found early enough.

Melinda’s story is not unusual, in the past she would get her annual mammogram but as life got busier and busier with the grandchildren and the business, she forgot and let it go for 3 years. However there is no guarantee a mammogram in January 2015 would have shown this lump as it’s a very fast growing type. Regardless, self exams and routine mammograms are important for all women.

According to Christi Ball Loso - Senior Public Relations Manager for the Puget Sound Affiliate of Susan G. Komen Foundation, each week, about 100 women in WA State will learn they have breast cancer. And in our state as well as nationally, about one in eight will have breast cancer in her lifetime.

Breast cancer  can be more successfully treated, especially if it’s detected early – before cancerous cells have spread to other parts of the body. According to American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate is 98% with early breast cancer detection. Regular annual screening mammograms starting at age 40, and timely treatment for breast cancer, can save your life. Accurate imaging provided by 3D mammography is proven to improve early detection by 10-30%.

8  Warning Signs of Breast Cancer
Due to the use of regular  mammography screening, most breast cancers in the U.S. are found at an early stage, before symptoms appear. However, not all breast cancers are found through mammography.
The warning signs of breast cancer are not the same for all women. The most common symptoms are a change in the look or feel of the breast, a change in the look or feel of the nipple and nipple discharge. The eight warning signs of breast cancer are listed below:
Lump, hard knot or thickening
Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening
Change in the size or shape of the breast
Dimpling or puckering of the skin
Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast
Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
New pain in one spot that doesn’t go away

If you have any of the symptoms described above, see a health care provider. If you do not have a provider, one of the best ways to find a good one is to get a referral from a trusted family member or friend. If that is not an option, call your health department, a clinic or a nearby hospital. In Burien, Highline Diagnostics on 160th can be reached by calling (206) 248-8900, they perform mammograms onsite or can help you find another local clinic.

It is estimated that half of all women in the United States will seek consultation for a breast disorder in their lifetime. 

If you have any of the symptoms described above, see a health care provider. If you do not have a provider, one of the best ways to find a good one is to get a referral from a trusted family member or friend. If that is not an option, call your health department, a clinic or a nearby hospital.

http://www.seattlecca.org/mammography-locations.cfm
Highline Diagnostics At 160th Burien
(206) 248-8900

Get Involved
Chances are you have a friend or family member who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. What can you do? Melinda’s advice is to send cards letting the woman you love know you are thinking about her, send inspirational books, ask how you can help but remember that having breast cancer doesn’t make a person invalid, more than anything, they just want to feel normal again. And definitely, get a mammogram! Melinda’s treatment is making her sick but she says “1 bad year is worth it if you get 20-30 more. Catch it early and deal with it.”

October 2015 is Breast Cancer Awareness Month; there are many events in all communities, check out the Susan G. Komen Puget Sound Chapter’s website to find an event near you http://komenpugetsound.org/.
Locally in Burien, Melinda’s full-service salon will be donating money from product sales and holding weekly raffles sold by ticket purchases. To find out more call Salon Serenza at (206) 244-8886.