New Jersey mother faces second bout with breast cancer amid rising cases among young women
October marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and new research from the American Cancer Society says breast cancer deaths are down but cases among young women are up.
Melisa Davis, 40, is losing her hair again and is in treatment for a second bout with breast cancer.
"I felt afraid, and I thought I was going to die. That's the only thing I can think about. Just thought, I won't be here, and my kids need me, and what am I going to do?" Davis said.
The single mother of three from Willingboro, New Jersey, was first diagnosed when she was 30.
"I had a pain in my breast and then I thought, that doesn't feel normal," Davis said.
She's part of a growing trend of women younger than 50 being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Cases were up 1% each year between 2012 and 2021, according to new research from the American Cancer Society. Scientists aren't sure why.
"What is driving the cancer risk, whether, you know, it's obesity, you know, changes in childbearing habits or really whether it's a lot of it may be driven to really access to the right kind of care," said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.
The report says breast cancer deaths overall are down 44%, but not for Black women.
That number is up 38% even though Black women have 5% fewer cases of breast cancer. Treatment disparities are often blamed.
"We can't be afraid. This is not something that needs to be quiet. This is not something that we should push under the rug," Davis said.
Davis believes many Black women are reluctant to talk about breast cancer and get screened. She's working with the cancer society to change that.
"We need to spread the awareness so that we can have better treatment. We can live longer, and we can fight through this," Davis said.
Davis says she's continuing treatments, doing everything she can to be around for her three sons.