Nov 19, 2009 9:49 pm US/Central
Breast-Cancer Survivor Endorses Self-Exams
Michele Youngerman Disagrees With Controversial New Study That Discounts Detection Method
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Michele Youngerman, a breast-cancer survivor, urges women to do self-exams.
CBS
This week, women have been conflicted, frustrated, even angry, about a medical panel's recommendations about mammograms and self-exams.
Specifically, the panel recommends that self-exams should not be taught, because they do no good.
But one woman tells CBS 2's Pamela Jones a self-exam saved her life.
It's someone CBS 2 knows very well: investigative producer Michele Youngerman, who is a cancer survivor.
Michele says her story proves that opinion wrong.
"Self-testing saved my life -- I believe that," she said. "I caught my lump. And had I not caught my lump, because a mammogram didn't; had they not taken the testing further, my cancer could have spread."
"I may not be here to see my child grow up," she added.
Youngerman was 42 when she found the lump in her breast. She had led a busy life, but soon she began fighting the battle of her life.
"You know what? When you have a baby, you have to just keep living your life," she said.
She said she almost missed her diagnosis.
"I had a mammogram in August," Youngerman said. "I found a lump in November. I had it looked at in January. I had another mammogram in January, and it didn't show anything. Then I had an ultrasound."
The ultrasound indicated the presence of cancer.
Doctors like Dayna Salasche agree self-exams can save lives. She says the panel's opinion won't change how she runs her practice.
"I'm telling (patients) to pay attention daily to any changes," she said. "If they feel something that's concerning, give me a call."
Youngerman's advice: "You have to take care of yourself. You have to look for lumps. And you can't wait if you find one."
Youngerman has had two surgeries, chemo and radiation and says she's fine now. But her cancer was the kind that could have spread to her lymph nodes, so she feels extremely lucky.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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