Finding Purpose Amid Health Challenges
- New York news reporter Stacey Sager is battling her third cancer battle. She shared the emotional moment of completing chemotherapy after a grueling stint with chemotherapy for breast cancer for a second time. She was previously diagnosed with breast cancer in the ‘90s and ovarian cancer in 2011. She’s made promoting early detection and cancer screening her life’s mission.
- A bilateral mastectomy (also called a double mastectomy) means both breasts are removed. The procedure may also be performed as a preventative measure for women who are at a very high risk of developing breast cancer. After the procedure, some women opt to have their breasts reconstructed and have implants put in.
- Genetic tests can be as simple as a simple saliva swab or blood sample. The results help your care team determine if you have a specific mutation, such as the BRCA gene mutation, that puts you at higher risk for cancer.
- BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations increase the risk of developing breast cancer by up to 85% during their lifetime.
A New York City news reporter says she is taking a moment to “celebrate the wins” while battling cancer for the third time in her life. The resilient mother of two grew emotional, surrounded by family and friends as she completed grueling chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Stacey Sager has made cancer advocacy and early detection and screening part of her life’s mission since she was first diagnosed more than two decades ago.
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Sager just completed chemotherapy for her third cancer diagnosis. In a new Instagram video, she is surrounded by all of her supporters who helped her through chemo.
“I’m so happy that everybody is here, and it’s important for me to thank the people who have been so kind and have done so much for me,” she said.
Just days before she completed her latest round of chemotherapy, Sager detailed how brutal treatment had been on her physically and emotionally.
“What they don’t tell you is that chemo can really do a number on you on the way out. I had excruciating pain in my lower left leg for ten straight days. It’s hard to lift my toes off the ground, and movement is hard.” Sager explained.
“I’m just out here keeping it real, and to tell you, it’s been brutal, and I wasn’t expecting it to be that hard. I think it’s going to be okay, and I’m trying different medications and keep the blood flow going. Sleep is challenging. It’s been rough, but we’re going to pick up the piece and keep going. I’m ever positive,” she continued.
Chemotherapy stops cancerous cells from growing, dividing, and spreading to other organs. It works by traveling through the bloodstream, killing cancerous cells. However, the process also impacts healthy cells, leading to side effects.
The side effects include nausea, vomiting, and hair loss. Your doctor can help you manage some of these side effects. Fortunately for hair loss, while it usually begins about three to four weeks after starting chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment, it usually regrows after treatment concludes.
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Sager has called the New York City metropolitan area home since 1996 and covered many big stories over the decades, from tragic plane crashes and the 9/11 terror attacks to heartwarming stories impacting tri-state families. However, she carved a niche on New York’s ABC television affiliate by sharing countless stories of cancer warriors. The stories of resilience resonated with her in part because she faced three different cancers in herself.
Long-time news viewers got to go along Sager’s cancer journeys over the years because she bravely shared what it is like to live with cancer to raise awareness.
“In the spring of 1999, Stacey completed a revealing Eyewitness News special on how she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the young age of 30. It was a unique, first-person account of the tough decision-making process faced by young women in crisis,” WABC News said.
She underwent a bilateral mastectomy to help treat her first stint with breast cancer. A bilateral mastectomy (also called a double mastectomy) means both breasts are removed.
Expert Resources for Breast Cancer Treatment
‘We Push On’
The procedure may also be performed as a preventative measure for women who are at a very high risk of developing breast cancer. Afterward, some women decide to have their breasts reconstructed and have implants put in, while others don’t have reconstruction at all.
WATCH: What goes into a double mastectomy?
“A double mastectomy typically takes about two hours for the cancer part of the operation, the removing of the tissue,” Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, tells SurvivorNet.
A little more than a decade later, Sager was confronted with cancer again in the spring of 2011. While undergoing prophylactic (preventative) surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes, doctors discovered she had pre-invasive ovarian cancer.
“Ovarian cancer does not have any specific symptoms,” Dr. Beth Karlan, a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Medical Center, told SurvivorNet.
Many ovarian cancers begin in the fallopian tubes. A few cancerous cells first grow on the fallopian tubes. Then, as the fallopian tubes brush over the ovary, these cells stick to the ovaries and eventually form a tumor.
“The symptoms include things like feeling full earlier than you usually would when your appetite is strong and feeling bloated. Some changes in your bowel habits. Some pain in the pelvis. These are symptoms women may have every month. These are not very specific. But we’ve found this constellation of symptoms from multiple studies,” Dr. Karlan added.
WATCH: Ovarian cancer, the cancer that “whispers”
Sager underwent genetic testing to learn if she was at an elevated risk for cancer. Genetic tests can be as simple as a simple saliva swab or blood sample. The results help your care team determine if you have a specific mutation that puts you at higher risk for cancer.
Pushing for Answers
Sager learned through the testing that she’s a carrier of the BRCA gene mutation, which elevates her risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
Dr. Julie R. Gralow, the Chief Medical officer and the Executive Vice President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, tells SurvivorNet that “Germline genetic testing for inherited predisposition for breast (and ovarian) cancer can include just BRCA1/2 testing or a more comprehensive gene panel that might include 15-25 genes.”
Related: Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer: What is This Type of Test? And What Do My Results Mean?
The infamous BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene changes are still the most important ones to look for in breast cancer. Together, they are responsible for about half of all hereditary breast cancers. These genes prevent cells from dividing haphazardly and uncontrollably in a person without mutations. Mutations prevent these genes from doing their job and can allow unchecked growth of breast, ovarian, and other tissues. This voracious growth paves the path for cancer development.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations increase the risk of developing breast cancer by up to 85% during their lifetime. To break it down, only 13% of all women will develop breast cancer during their lifetimes. If they carry the mutations, their risk increases to 45%-72%, depending upon their exact mutation.
The presence of such mutations can have a significant impact on the treatment options for women carrying them. “Presence of a BRCA1/2 gene mutation (or others associated with high risk) may impact surgical decision-making in a patient who is newly diagnosed with breast cancer,” says Dr. Gralow. “It should not really impact treatment of current cancer (eligibility for lumpectomy versus mastectomy), but the presence of such a mutation carries a very high risk of developing a second breast cancer, so bilateral mastectomy is a reasonable consideration to reduce the risk of second cancer.”
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Sager will detail her third cancer journey in the coming days in a YouTube special put on by her television station. In the meantime, she continues to push early detection and screening. She also plans to remain optimistic about her latest diagnosis with remission in mind.
“We push on. We have to celebrate the wins,” Sager said.
What To Ask Your Doctor
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you may have questions about how to keep your strength through treatment. Here are a few questions to help you begin the conversation with your doctor:
- What treatment will I be receiving?
- What side effects are associated with this treatment?
- Are there steps I can take daily to help minimize these side effects?
- What physical activity routine do you recommend for me during treatment?
- Do you have recommendations for someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy exercise?
- Can you recommend a dietician who can help me with healthy eating tips and weight maintenance?
- I’ve been having trouble sleeping. Do you have any treatment recommendations?
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