A Breast Cancer Survivor Shares her Story

In 1997, Flossie Adams discovered a lump in her breast while showering. She recalls it feeling hard, like a marble and unlike her normal fibrous tissue. Flossie's first reaction was far from panic. She was young at age 40, with no family history of breast cancer. She ate well, exercised and took good care of her health. Nevertheless, she scheduled a mammogram for a few days later.

It wasn't until the mammogram technician hesitated and then asked her to stay for an ultrasound that she began to worry. "No one would say anything," says Flossie, "They just told me that I needed to talk to my physician. At first, I thought it was just a benign cyst because my mother had benign cysts." She went to see her family physician, who referred her to a surgeon.

Hearing the word "malignant"
"That's when I got the news that the growth was malignant, but it didn't sink in." Even so, Flossie scheduled the surgery her doctor recommended. "Reality really sunk in when I woke up from the surgery. I was terrified and hysterical and I kept asking if it was malignant." Flossie was told her cancer was stage 2 and that they had found cancer in one of her lymph nodes.

"I was so afraid," says Flossie. "When I heard about the treatment and the chances of survival, I thought I was going to die. A Sutter Memorial nurse comforted me, telling me of her own story of surviving breast cancer three years earlier. 'It's never as bad as the numbers sound,' she told me." Flossie was determined to go on with her life as usual. She underwent surgery on a Friday and returned to work as manager of a dental front office on Monday.

Making treatment decisions
Her doctors recommended chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Flossie researched her options and decided against chemotherapy. Instead, she chose radiation, Zolodex injections and Tamoxifen. She will continue with Zolodex and Tamoxifen for five years total. "I read a lot before I made my decision and it was reassuring. Surprisingly, these treatments were real successful and the survival rates were encouraging," Flossie recalls.

For others, Flossie's advice is simple. "Don't wait. Get regular mammograms and check your breasts monthly. If you notice a change, call your doctor right away. Detecting breast cancer early could save your life."

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