“It feels really strange for it to happen to someone like me. I do as much as I possibly can, eating healthy foods and exercising. I listen to podcasts. I read books. I’m obsessed with longevity and making sure that I live a healthy, long life. And then, I started to realize how common it is and how it’s happening to so many young women,” said WHS English Teacher Rebecca McGrath, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer at 39 years old.
No matter what diet we are on or how many morning runs we go on, breast cancer remains an imminent threat in our lives. Although both men and women can develop breast cancer, an overwhelming number of women suffer from the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women develop some form of breast cancer throughout their life in the United States. In addition to this startling statistic, recent studies by the ACS have highlighted the staggering cases of breast cancer in women under 50 years of age, as rates have increased by 1 percent annually.
But what is causing these increased rates? As a society, many individuals have come to the general consensus that breast cancer is mainly a genetic disease, and yet the ACS states that only 5 to 10 percent of all breast cancer cases are hereditary. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 500 women in the United States have a mutation in the BRCA gene, a tumor suppressor that when varied from its original form, can no longer prevent women from contracting breast cancer. This mutation of the BRCA gene usually occurs in later stages of life. Although it is the most widely known cause of breast cancer by the general public, it is likely not the answer we are seeking to explain the heightened number of cases in patients such as McGrath.
Although McGrath does not have the BRCA mutation, her own genetic traits have potentially impacted the likelihood of her developing breast cancer. For example, McGrath said, “I’m Ashkenazi Jewish, and there are higher rates of cancer in that group of people. Also, I have extremely dense breasts, and there’s a greater increase in breast cancer for women with extremely dense breasts.” In combination with these hereditary factors, McGrath believes that some of her other decisions may have influenced her diagnosis, such as “being on birth control for quite a long time and having a child later in life.”
Similarly for WHS Art Teacher Lauren Schwarzenbek, there was not a clear-cut answer to the source of her breast cancer. When she was diagnosed this past May, she tested negative for cancerous genetic mutations and immediately attempted to grapple with the rushing anxieties that came with her diagnosis. “You go over all of your life choices and think, ‘What did I do and where was I? Did I eat the wrong things or do the wrong things in life?’” said Schwarzenbek. Coming to terms with her inability to control these extenuating circumstances became the most difficult part of her journey, but she eventually realized that “pretty much anybody can get [breast cancer].”
Both Schwarzenbek and McGrath send warm wishes to the WHS community as they await their return in the spring. Schwarzenbek said, “I would love to be there in the building, doing what I love to do; I miss everybody.”
While McGrath and Schwarzenbek may not know what caused the onset of their breast cancer, many medical researchers recommend certain lifestyle alterations to prevent a rise of cases in the future. Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist, director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering in Monmouth, NJ and Fox News medical correspondent, told Hi’s Eye that in order to decrease the risk of breast cancer, women must remain conscious of sustaining “a healthy weight” in order to lower their fat cell count, which can “produce estrogen, [as] many breast cancers are estrogen sensitive.”
In conjunction with maintaining a healthy figure, Dr. Saphier also recommends reducing substance use. “Even a moderate amount of alcohol intake somewhat increases the risk of breast cancer,” she noted. “Smoking cigarettes also has shown to increase the risk of breast cancer.”
However, the elimination of these habits does not entirely discount the possibility of developing cancer cells. “If a woman has risk factors, such as family history of breast cancer, a known genetic mutation, or has had radiation to their chest for lymphoma, they’re at a higher risk, and therefore we may recommend starting breast cancer screening even as young as 25 but for the majority of women, we recommend at the age of 40 now,” said Dr. Saphier.
Nonetheless, receiving these necessary screenings is not as easy and reliable as it should be. Dr. Saphier explained, “Mammograms are imperfect, and because of that, we’re now incorporating ultrasounds into a lot of our breast cancer screening regimens. So if you find a lump, even though you just had a normal mammogram result, you still may have an abnormality.”
Schwarzenbek believes it is counterproductive that “insurance doesn’t cover under 40” when considering the many women who develop breast cancer prior to that age. As for McGrath, she feels very “fortunate” to have access to quality health insurance, as a mammogram and ultrasound come at an additional expense for many individuals. “It’s not the same case for most people in other countries and people who don’t have as good health insurance here in the United States. I think it’s important for health insurance companies to offer women those supports for a timely and thorough examination as well as preventative care to make sure [women are] getting checked,” McGrath explained.
Schwarzenbek advises young women to “be vigilant and go to all your appointments,” she said. “Get checked, be aware. Know your family history. If anybody in your family has had any kind of breast cancer, see if you can get mammograms earlier than the 40 years old where insurance starts covering it.”
Dr. Saphier stated, “I’ve diagnosed breast cancer in a 19 year old as well as a 98 year old.” As rates of breast cancer cases continue to increase, the most crucial component to preventing the cancer or terminating it early is understanding your body.
“A woman knows her body better than anybody else. If you have a doctor telling you one thing, but you know something is wrong, you have to advocate for yourself. You have to be the quarterback of your healthcare, because no one is going to care about you as much as you do. You have to make sure you take an active role in your body and your health, because you only have one life to live,” said Dr. Saphier.