Dorthea Bass never thought she would develop breast cancer.
At 35 years old, the Muncie native and single mom had no family history of the disease. She followed a healthy diet and never smoked.
But nine years ago, while performing a routine breast self-examination, Bass discovered a small, pea-sized lump in her right breast. She quickly called her doctor, who performed a needle biopsy of the tissue.
The test came back negative for cancer.
Bass said she was relieved.
Her doctor, however, warned her to pay close attention to the lump and to report any changes in its size immediately.
Two months later, after the lump grew to the size of a golf ball, Bass
went in to see a surgeon at Ball Memorial Hospital. The day he saw her,
he wanted to perform surgery on on the lump.
Bass underwent a complete removal of the lump in her breast, a process known as a lumpectomy.
The results of the procedure would change her life.
"The day the results came back was the day I found out I had breast cancer and had a 50-50 chance of living," Bass, now 44, said. "I can't begin to describe how I felt. Here I was, 35 years old and in shock, so I just kind of laid there on the bed for a minute and let it all sink in."
Bass said the tears began to flow as her thoughts turned to death and
leaving her 13-year-old daughter, Dionna.
"All I could think about was, 'If my life ends, who's going to take
care of my child?'" she said.
She said she was also nervous to tell her coworkers at Ball State University
that she had the disease and worried that she would lose her job as a
teller in the bursar's office.
"I shouldn't have worried because Ball State gave me so much support," she said. "My family, my church and my coworkers were great, and during
treatment, Ball State provided me with assistance to help pay my bills."
Bass had her first mammogram soon after her diagnosis. She went in the
following week to remove lymph nodes that had surrounded the lump.
She then underwent 16 weeks of intensive chemotherapy and radiation, which left her bedridden for months.
"It just zapped me of energy," she said of the drugs. "I could barely do anything."
Bass was forced to take nine months off work. She lost most of her hair within four to six weeks of first receiving chemotherapy.
Throughout the trying ordeal, she said she felt incredibly blessed that so many people were there to help her out.
"I definitely know cancer has strengthened me," she said as her eyes
welled up with tears. "I trust God more because of how much he has given
me in my life beyond cancer."
Today Bass remains cancer free, but she continues to receive yearly
mammograms and warns Dionna, now 22, to take care of her breasts.
"I want my daughter to know that just because she's young doesn't mean
she can't get breast cancer," she said. "It can affect anybody. If I
would have waited until I was 40 to have my first mammogram, I wouldn't
be here right now."
Know the facts
According to the American Cancer Society, young women under the age of
40 comprised six percent of cancer cases from 1996 to 2000. Over 75 percent of about 192,000 Americans who will develop breast cancer this year will be women 50 and older.
About 40,200 of the women diagnosed with breast cancer will die of the disease.
"Breast cancer doesn't just hit the old," said Denise Hurt, an employee of Cancer Services of Delaware County, Inc. "I've seen a 13 year old
here in Muncie who developed the disease and had to have a double
mastectomy."
October is christened Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in honor of the month, Hurt will be coordinating a "Reaching Out Breast Health" program at Ball Memorial's Comprehensive Breast Health Center, 2401 W. University Ave.
Hurt said the program will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Oct. 18. Women who attend the event will receive breakfast, gifts, a tour of the breast center and a free clinical breast exam. Free mammograms will also be offered to women who qualify.
"All women should try and check their breasts regularly," Hurt said.
She said women ages 20 to 39 should have clinical breast exams performed
by a professional every year and should conduct self breast exams
monthly.
Hurt said many young women either forget to conduct such exams or are embarrassed to touch their bodies.
"For those who think self exams are nasty or invasive, they should
know they can really help you when it comes to finding a lump on your
own," she said.
She also said women shouldn't be scared if they discover a lump.
"Just because they discover a mass of tissue there doesn't mean it's
cancerous," she said. "Many times, it can be benign."
Risk factors for breast cancer include being a female, starting your
period at an early age and having a family history of the disease, Hurt
said. Smoking and a high-fat diet are also linked to breast cancer and
cancers of the ovary, endometrium and colon.
Hurt said she hopes Ball State women -- especially older graduate
students, non-traditional students and foreign-exchange students -- know
that Cancer Services is available to provide them with low-cost or free
health services.
"Events like 'Reaching Out' are targeted for those who may not have insurance and couldn't otherwise afford a clinical exam or a mammogram,"
she said. "Money shouldn't be an issue when it comes to a person's health."
Get involved
Students can show their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month by
getting involved on campus. The health-education department will sponsor an awareness event from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 17 in the Art and Journalism Building. Students can send reminder cards to loved ones about the importance of self breast exams.
Students can also collect pink Yoplait lids. The lids are part of the yogurt company's "Collect Lids to Save Lives" campaign. Each lid collected will donate money to future breast-cancer research.
Alissa Fial, a master's intern with the health-education department, said students have an additional incentive to turn in their lids. She said the top-five people who collect the most lids and return them to Room 201 in the department's Health Center by Oct. 31 will win a free one-topping pizza.
"We're just hoping it gives them more of a reason to help us out and show their support," she said.
Alison Cockerill, a health educator involved with the awareness events, said the top priority this month is spreading the word about breast cancer.
"Students think because they're the age they are, they're not at risk," she said. "But it's never too early to take an interest in their health and to start checking their breasts at a young age."
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