Navigating a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment can bring a wide range of emotions. The physical and mental toll is often overwhelming, and it can be difficult to find moments of peace and positivity. However, through these challenges, there are countless stories of resilience, hope and faith that inspire.
2024 State Legislative Sessions Mid-Year Review 34 – Number of states with Komen-led Legislation41 – Number of issues introduced in 2024 state sessions31 – Number of states where Komen engaged in coalition efforts24 – Number of states with enacted Diagnostic & Supplemental Imaging legislation11 – Number of states with enacted Komen-led legislation The Center for […]
Sierra has a history of fibroadenomas, which are benign breast tumors, so when she felt a lump in her breast in late 2022, she assumed that’s what she was feeling. But the more she felt it, she realized that it didn’t feel like a fibroadenoma usually felt.
Nobody plans for breast cancer. One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, yet the words, “You have breast cancer” often come as a complete shock. Susan G. Komen meets breast cancer patients where they are and ensures nobody faces breast cancer alone. Whether a patient needs […]
Komen’s Patient Care Center (PCC) navigators are culturally responsive and dedicated care partners who offer free, personalized services to patients, caregivers and family members. “When I’m working with people in treatment, I want them to know they can trust me to help find answers and resources,” says Roselyn, a Komen Patient Navigator. “Cancer is the biggest blow, and I want to help cushion it.”
Regular scans during breast cancer treatment can help identify if the cancer is responding to treatment – or when breast cancer has recurred. In the lead up time to scans, people often feel a sense of anxiety – or scanxiety. Fortunately, there are tools available to some that may help identify breast cancer recurrence.
Laura Grueser has worked in the community health space and in hospice programs. Four years ago, she joined the Komen Patient Care Center as a patient navigator, where she helps guide breast cancer patients through the health care system. Her job is essentially to help a patient traverse the health care system.
For Wisconsin mom of three and firefighter Bizzy Smith, 2022 was a whirlwind of emotions, beginning with receiving the call that she and her best friend and fellow firefighter Sunny Pulver had been cast as a team on season 36 of “The Amazing Race.” The year would end with her struggling for a diagnosis for the lumps in her left breast.
In a small, rural town in southern Minnesota, Cyndi spent her days as a wife, mother and high school English teacher. In 2018, after she tried everything to mitigate persistent rib pain, she had an appointment that set her on a path she never anticipated.
According to the National Cancer Institute, mammograms correctly identify about 87% of breast cancers present at the time of screening. Researchers are investigating whether AI software can help radiologists detect breast cancer with even more accuracy.
Tiffy was just 29 when she learned she had breast cancer. “I didn’t have to worry about my medical bills, but I couldn’t afford daily expenses,” she said. She turned to Komen’s Financial Assistance Program and was approved for a grant. “That gave me the ability to breathe for just a moment,” Tiffy said. “I could think about my own well-being.”
When it comes to advocacy in the breast cancer community, few stories are as inspiring as that of Dr. Vondalyn Wright, affectionately known as Dr. Von. Her breast cancer diagnosis and her unwavering support for others facing the disease have made her an inspiration for people like Princess, who discovered Dr. Von while caring for her grandmother.
