A Tennessee woman claims reduction surgery on her size H breasts saved her life after surgeons discovered a ‘fist-sized’ lump that turned out to be stage 4 cancer.
Savannah White, 30, was suffering from excruciating back and shoulder pain and friction sores in her right breast from a lump that her doctors have ruled out as a harmless cyst.
“I had what I thought was a cyst on the underside of my chest, and it would rub against the underwire of my bra. It was really uncomfortable,” said Ms White.
The social worker opted for a breast reduction last February, but was shocked when doctors found a cancerous tumor. Tests revealed that she has stage 4 breast cancer, giving her a life expectancy of only five to 10 years.
Savannah White opted for a breast reduction last February to reduce her breasts from size H. She thought she had a cyst under her breast, but doctors dismissed it as harmless
Ms White was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, with a five to ten year survival rate. She credits the surgery for ultimately saving her life
‘(The doctor) said that by looking at it he could tell it was cancer. It didn’t dawn on me until later. I just remember crying (on my way home),’ Mrs White said.
“It was a complete shock. Nowhere in my head did I think this could happen to me, especially at age 29.”
“It felt like the wind was being knocked out of me. Stage 4 is synonymous with death, at least that was in my mind. I thought I was going to die.’
“The breast reduction saved my life.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in American women and is the second leading cause of death in women after lung cancer.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that nearly 300,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 alone and 43,000 will die.
Localized breast cancer, that is, cancer limited to just one area, has a five-year survival rate of nearly 100 percent. However, once it spreads to other areas, such as during stage 4, five-year survival drops to just 31 percent.
Ms White’s diagnosis at age 29 is particularly rare, as the average age at which women are typically diagnosed is 63.
Mrs. White (pictured with her husband, Phillip) underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy. She will receive chemo and hormone blockers for the rest of her life, which will prevent her from having children
Ms White believes that if she had been sent for a mammogram rather than being misdiagnosed with cysts, her cancer may never have reached stage four. “Defend yourself as far as you talk to doctors because they definitely want to discharge younger patients,” she said
She underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy and is now in remission. However, she will now have to take oral chemotherapy and hormone blockers for the rest of her life. The hormone blockers put her into menopause at age 30, meaning she can no longer have children.
She is also expected to have only five to ten years to live.
“Usually a lot of people think that remission means cured, but that doesn’t really mean, and that’s definitely not the case when you’re in stage 4,” said Ms White.
“For now, I’m on oral chemo and I’ll be on oral chemo for the rest of my life.”
“Once a month I go in and get hormone-blocking injections. They put me into menopause, so I am in menopause at 30 years old. I’ll never be able to have children.’
‘It’s daily fare. I’ll never live a normal life and I’m trying to cope.’
Ms. White has vowed to start her own non-profit or provide therapy to other cancer patients and is currently writing a book about her experiences.
She believes that if she had been sent for a mammogram instead of being misdiagnosed with cysts, her cancer may never have reached stage four.
“Anyone who is not feeling well should trust their body. Your body will tell you what to do,’ Mrs White said.
“Plead yourself to talking to doctors, because they definitely want to discharge younger patients.”
“Speak for yourself and push for what you need, whether that’s a mammogram or an ultrasound.”
‘Cancer is (better) curable if you can detect it early enough. If my doctor who said I had cysts had sent me for a mammogram, I might not be stage four by now.”