Breast Cancer: Not just an old ladies' disease

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Vanessa Young
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
RAF LAKENHEATH, England --  October 1996, 30-year-old Staff Sergeant Lisa Vargas was newly engaged to be married and dreamed of having children. A month later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. 

She had been seen in the women's health clinic in July 1996 and received a breast examination, which yielded normal results. When she performed her monthly breast exam in August, she felt a lump. 

"In August, it was already dime size and very noticeable to me," said Master Sgt. Lisa Vargas-Hernandez, 48th Dental Squadron. 

The American Cancer Society recommends that a breast self exam should be performed by women who have been taught how to do a BSE, and always in conjunction with clinical breast exam, (exam by their physician), and mammography - not as a substitute for CBE and mammography. 

"Usually we tell patients to look for 'new' changes in their breast tissue such as a lump, skin dimpling, nipple retraction or new nipple discharge," said Maj. (Dr.) Jaye Adams, 48th Medical Group Obstetrician and Gynecologist Services medical director. "If they find something that concerns them, they should call their primary care manager to make an appointment for a clinical breast exam." 

In November, Sergeant Vargas-Hernandez had a biopsy on the lump and was later diagnosed with breast cancer. 

According to an on-line physician resource, Screening Average Risk Women for Breast Cancer, the biggest risk factors for breast cancer are age, genetic predisposition, and estrogen exposure. One in eight women is at risk. 

"In the big scheme of a person's overall age and genetic related risk, these factors may not make much of a change in an individual's risk profile; but they are modifiable and patients often want to do whatever they can to decrease their overall risk for breast cancer," said Major Adams. 

When she was diagnosed, Sergeant Vargas-Hernandez didn't think she had a family history of breast cancer. 

"I didn't find out my grandmother died of ovarian cancer until after I was diagnosed." Sergeant Vargas-Hernandez. "Back then, no one talked about female cancers. We were all told she died of colon cancer. Nowadays, women aren't as shy to talk about their bodies and they are passing this open communication on to their daughters." 

Sergeant Vargas-Hernandez went through 10 chemotherapy treatments which lasted about 11 months. These treatments made the tumor smaller, but it took surgery to remove the tumor in her breast. When the tumor broke down during the treatments, particles of the tumor spread out through the breast. After three surgeries to remove these particles, she had a mastectomy. 

After being diagnosed, Sergeant Vargas-Hernandez underwent genetic testing, and was told she had the gene, BRCA 1, which made her more susceptible to ovarian and breast cancer. 

"I had a 50-50 chance of being diagnosed with cancer again. My doctor said it wasn't a matter of if I got cancer it was when I got cancer again," she said. "So, I gave myself a time limit that if I didn't have children by such and such time, I would have my ovaries removed." 

In 1999, Sergeant Vargas-Hernandez gave birth to her first child, a daughter and in 2005; she gave birth to her second child, a son. 

Today Sergeant Vargas-Hernandez is a breast cancer survivor and recently volunteered to speak to women about her experience at a Pilates for Pink event held at the Fitness Center. She offered this advice to the women at the event. 

"Take care of yourself, know your body well and check it often enough to know when there are changes," said Sergeant Vargas-Hernandez. "It's not an old ladies' disease, you don't have to be in your 50's or 60's to get breast cancer. It could happen to anyone."