In June 2015, Sara Schabel was on top of the world after delivering healthy twin girls. She and Nic, her husband of two years, shared their joy with family and friends.
But just two years later, the now 34-year-old mother began the battle of her life when she started aggressive treatment for breast cancer.
“After my twins were born, I kept getting infections from breast feeding,” says Sara, a resident of Munger, Mich., near Bay City. “When I saw my family doctor again last July, he ordered a mammogram.”
The test, performed at the Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Bay Region, showed a golf ball-sized tumor in her left breast. After a biopsy, Sara learned she had invasive ductal carcinoma, the most common type of breast cancer.
“The diagnosis swept me off my feet,” Sara says. “I had a husband, two toddlers and a teenage stepson. I knew I had a family history of breast cancer but never thought I’d have the disease at such a young age.”
Sara’s grandmother and mother both died from breast cancer at age 42. Sara’s aunt is a 20-year breast cancer survivor. After further consultation with her doctors, Sara chose to undergo genetic testing. The results showed Sara is positive for the BRCA-1 gene, which increases a woman’s risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
After completing chemotherapy in December at Karmanos, Sara opted for a double mastectomy to reduce the chance of cancer recurrence. Tari Stull, M.D., FACS, a breast surgeon at Karmanos at Bay Region performed the surgery.
“Now I’m in remission and will undergo radiation treatments as a precaution,” Sara says. “I’ll have breast reconstruction afterwards.”
As Sara’s family history shows, breast cancer can occur in young adults ages 20-39. Samir Alsawah, M.D., a medical oncologist at the Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Port Huron, says the incidence rates for breast cancer in young women have increased dramatically over the past 15 years.
“We don’t know why this is occurring,” Dr. Alsawah says. “It could be due to environmental factors or lifestyle factors like obesity or increased alcohol consumption. Still, breast cancer can occur in active, healthy young women.”
The good news is the cancer outlook tends to be better in young patients than those who are older at the time of diagnosis, Dr. Alsawah says.
“Younger patients generally have healthier liver and kidney function, which reduces toxicity by clearing cancer-fighting drugs from the body,” he says. “That could influence cancer survival.
“We generally recommend people of all ages maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, minimize alcohol intake and talk with their primary care doctor about any health concerns. If you have a family history of cancer, ask your doctor about when to begin appropriate screening.”
Sara adds that it’s important for young people to advocate for their health.
“Find a doctor who can help you create a long-term health plan and order the screening tests you need,” she says. “It can help save your life.”
To read Sara’s blog about her cancer journey, visit saraschabel.wordpress.com .
Cancers in Young Adults
Cancer isn’t common in young adults (ages 20-39), but a wide variety of cancer types can occur in this age range:
• Brain and spinal cord tumors
• Breast cancer
• Cervical and ovarian cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Leukemia
• Lymphomas (non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin)
• Melanoma
• Sarcomas
• Testicular cancer
• Thyroid cancer
Screening guidelines vary by cancer type. Talk with your primary care physician about your family health history and personal risk to determine which screenings are right for you.
Source: American Cancer Society