BRYAN, TX — The month of October is dedicated to bringing awareness to breast cancer, the most common cancer in women worldwide.
Bryan resident, Doris Light, is a breast cancer survivor.
“I will never forget the sounds of those words - you have cancer. It seems like it was yesterday, but it was 14 and a half years ago. April 3rd, 2006, I got diagnosed with breast cancer,” she says.
In 2006, Doris felt a lump in her breast which alerted her to go to the doctor. She was later diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. She and her team of doctors decided to treat aggressively.
“I treated with first of all a lumpectomy, get cancer out, get it out of you, and then I had six rounds of chemo, and I had 32 rounds of radiation,” says Doris.
According to oncologists, breast cancer can be detected earliest through routine mammograms.
“Mammograms are tremendous in catching early, early breast cancers that you would not otherwise feel or know are there, and those can be very easily treated and cured before it gets too far along,” Radiation Oncologist Jamie Pawlowski.
As she explained it, life happened - and Doris had let a year gone by from her last schedule routine mammogram.
“Unfortunately, I was about 18 months late in getting that mammogram,” says Doris.
Doctors say there are ways to lessen the risk of any cancer, from lifestyle choices to diet to staying active and exercise.
“Even if you do everything right, cancer can happen, but these lifestyle changes you can do: diet, exercise, and lifestyle are huge to make an impact on your risk in developing breast cancer,” says Dr. Pawlowski.
This is exactly what Doris has committed to do since her diagnosis.
“One of the things I am focused on personally, is exercising and taking care of myself as much as I can,” says Doris.
“We’re trying to achieve resiliency, so we can keep that cancer away and exercise and working is the way to do it. There's only positive effects from it,” says Doris’ trainer Ashlye Bergen. “You’ve got lymphatic flow which is when the muscles contract, they are pushing fluid through the body and getting rid of the bad stuff. You’re oxygenating every cell in your body. You are strengthening muscles and building muscles which in turn is going to build bone density which we know is a problem after chemo and radiation.”
With knowing the importance of early detection, Doris is dedicated to supporting women in their fight and educating women of all ages
“You know, I feel like God allowed me to be a survivor for a purpose, and I kind of have taken that ball run with it. I want to be there for the next person. I want to show them that it is not a death sentence, that you can survive this,” says Doris.
Dorris's story is just one of thousands across Texas. Every year, breast cancer goes unchecked for many women in the state. In fact, the numbers are enough to make you think twice about getting a breast cancer screening.
Health officials with the Texas Health and Human Services department say that one in eight women born today will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
Just last year, more than 3,200 women died from the disease in Texas with over 200,000 survivors in Texas right now.
