"I think that as a society, we really do need to continue to encourage women to get that routine mammogram, those routine screenings," says Dr. Victoria Seng, University of Tennessee at Martin's Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, citing frightening statistics about breast cancer: every three minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, the leading cause of cancer among white and black women. 85% of women with breast cancer have no known family history, as was the case with her experience, she says. Dr. Seng joins Kate Lochte on Sounds Good to share her story ahead of her keynote speech at UT Martin's 4th Annual Women's Symposium Tuesday from noon to 4 p.m.
Dr. Victoria Seng's story begins with a routine mammogram in August 2006. She had one the previous year that came back with normal results, but this time they saw something that gave them concern. She went in for a second one and after that, contacted a surgeon and set up a biopsy. When you hear the word 'cancer,' she says, you can get tunnel vision - a very true thing that happens. Later, she had a surgery for a simple mastectomy. After this, chemo therapy for the next five years. "When he gave me the diagnosis, the first word he said was 'infiltrating.' I am a nursing professor also, so I knew immediately that meant not only did I have cancer, it was spreading. So I'm very fortunate that I did have that routine mammogram and that we did pick it up that quickly. And I'm now an eight year survivor."
Despite self-examination, neither her nor the surgeon could feel the lump, she says. It was small, but spreading. In her teaching, she felt the need to change many of her notes for class, particularly related to cancer treatments and what the patients are experiencing. She says we don't think about a mastectomy being similar to the amputation of a leg. For years she taught about phantom pain to her students, but discovered that the same thing occurs when you remove a breast through mastectomy. She felt this was important for her to make sure students understood. She also felt that instances of men getting breast cancer is generally neglected. "It's important not only for women to do self-breast exam, but also for men, because we are seeing an increase in the cases of breast cancer among men. It is not strictly a female disease." she says.
Dr. Seng says resources in the geographical area for support regarding wig and prosthesis were adequately available. She says the person who fitted her wig did a great job finding one that matched her hair. For the prosthetic, she says the people trained to fit for this are "remarkable" and respectful of privacy and understanding of the change in body image. She says it was helpful to work with someone who has that understanding.
