My name is Chien-Chi Huang and I was diagnosed with breast cancer just few months after I turned 40.
I was shocked when given the bad news because I thought only white women or old women could get breast cancer. I was even more surprised to learn that many Asian American women I knew had breast cancer, but nobody talked about it.
In fact, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Asian American women and the leading cancer cause among Chinese, Filipino, Japanese and Korean women. Yet when compared to other racial groups, Asian American women have the lowest screening service utilization rate. Language and cultural barriers often prevent people from seeking proper, timely treatment and support, which have a great impact on the survival outcomes. Many still suffer in silent, feeling isolated and stigmatized.
Cancer is a subject no one wants to talk about, and it is especially hard for Asian Americans to come forward and speak about it. Therefore, it is even more important for people to see others who beat the disease and hear about the resources available in the community.
I am very grateful as I have the second chance to live a productive life. I believe we could save lives by recruiting and retaining Asian American women for early detection services. As a prevention health worker, I understand that personal stories can be a powerful tool to change people’s perception, attitude and behaviors. My ultimate goal is to empower others to dispel myth, reduce disparities and bring hope to fellow Asian American women by sharing their cancer experience and breast health related information. With the support from the Massachusetts Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure ® and the Saffron Circle, I will work with health facilities and community based organizations to conduct culturally appropriate educational workshops in the Asian American communities.
Elise DeCola... Here's my story:
I'm a 43-year old mom of 2 amazing daughters and a 2-time breast cancer survivor. I was first diagnosed in May of 2005, at age 34. My daugters were 4 and 1. I chose a very aggressive treatment because of my age and tumor characteristics, and had 3 months of chemo followed by a double mastectomy, reconstructive surgery, and 5 years of hormone therapy. The initial treatment and surgeries were challenging, but I stayed active and positive, and eventually my hair grew back and I got used to the implants and I moved on. After my cancer diagnosis, I learned to ski. I took up golf. I ran two 200-mile overnight relays. I continued to work, running a small consulting firm and traveling all over North America. And I continued to raise, with my husband, our two girls. I became involved with Susan G. Komen through the Race for the Cure, and was eventually invited to participate in Survivor events. The very first one was a fashion show for New Balance. I found a great source of strength and comfort in bonding with other survivors, and found that I could have an impact on other women by identifying my still fairly young self as a Survivor. Breast cancer is not just a disease for older women.
In May of 2012, I found a small lump in my mastectomy scar that turned out to be a recurrence. I went through more surgeries, had more chemo, had some radiation, went into surgically induced menopause and started another round of hormone treatment. This time around, my girls were 11 and 8 - but they did not miss a beat. It was a tough year, but we got through it and I'm putting the pieces back together. Through it all, Komen has been a huge part of my support network, and I have continued to participate in outreach events. I was the New Balance Honorary Team member for the 2012 Race for the Cure, and my race team raised over $12,000!
Here are a couple of articles from my local paper.
http://www.patriotledger.com/mobile/x1224698314/Seven-years-after-beating-breast-cancer-it-came-back
http://www.patriotledger.com/features/x549838294/AUDIO-SLIDESHOW-Breast-cancer-patient-shares-HERstory
