Meet Kyra
“If we can screen early, why wouldn't we?”
Kyra was diagnosed after a screening mammogram and biopsy in February 2019, at 43
After further tests, Kyra’s doctor recommended a lumpectomy. Then, one month after her breast cancer diagnosis, Kyra learned she had thyroid cancer. “At that point, it felt like cancer really liked my body, so I opted for a double mastectomy,” she said.
Then came six months of chemotherapy followed by a thyroidectomy. While her husband was by her side for every surgery, Kyra opted to go to chemo appointments alone. “I would take the subway there, and I would walk home from NYU just to clear my head.”
Today, Kyra is in her seventh year of a 10-year regimen of tamoxifen to reduce her risk of recurrence. She shares her story in hopes that it will encourage women to get screened. “Breast cancer research has come a long way,” she said. “They’re discovering new things every day, and I think it’s important to screen whether you have a family history or you don’t.”
I’m glad I got screened early. Had I waited a year, it would’ve been a much worse situation.
