North Texas program helps identify women at high risk for developing breast cancer
NORTH TEXAS — Approximately 13% of U.S. women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives, according to the National Cancer Institute, and some of them may be at an increased risk because of certain genetic mutations.
A program in North Texas is helping those patients with cancer-risk assessment, awareness and education for early detection and prevention.
Laura Heims first heard about breast cancer in elementary school.
"My mom had her first diagnosis when I was in fourth grade," she said.
Her mother, Cecilia Garton, had a single mastectomy and went through months of chemo and radiation. Heims said she tried to be strong for her two young daughters.
"We didn't even know the level of discomfort that she was in, but I do remember her being sick and it felt like a really long illness at that time," said Heims.
Her mom recovered, but breast cancer stayed top of mind.
In 2015, Garton decided to undergo genetic testing to see if she or her daughters were at an increased risk of developing the disease.
"She found out that she had the CHEK2 gene mutation that put her at higher risk, and so she wanted my sister and I to also have the testing," Heims said. "So I also had the testing. It was very easy to do."
Turns out, Heims did have the same genetic mutation as her mother. She joined the Cancer Risk and Prevention Program at Texas Health Dallas to undergo more rigorous screenings.
"My doctors told me just because you have the CHEK2, it does not mean you're going to get breast cancer," she said. "So, you know, don't be living every day like it's going to happen to you."
So that's what she did, focusing her attention on her mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer a second time in 2019. As Garton was nearing the end of her treatment, Heims' doctors found something concerning on her most recent scan.
"She was getting her last radiation when I was getting my biopsy," Heims said. "So our journeys crossed over with each other. We ended up having breast cancer at the same time."
Heim's cancer was caught incredibly early because of the additional screenings she had in the high-risk program.
"Eventually we would have found the cancer on mammogram, but it may have been a more advanced stage, and it may have required more invasive treatments than the ones she had," said Dr. Archana Ganaraj, a breast cancer surgeon at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.
Ganaraj says taking proactive steps helped give Heims a better chance of not only surviving but also a better quality of life during treatment as well.
For those scared to take that first step of identifying high-risk factors, she recommends starting with a visit to their gynecologist.
"Go in," Ganaraj said. "I find that a lot of people who think they're at high risk for developing breast cancer really are at average risk or below average risk."
Either way, information is power.
"Have a conversation with your family members," said Joyce Lee, the oncology program manager at Texas Health Dallas. "It's important to know what kind of history you can start asking about your grandparents, your parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews."
Having a better understanding of your risk can lead to action.
"I think the biggest misconception is people think I have no breast cancer in my family, so I am not at risk," said Ganaraj. "And the truth is, for 90% of the breast cancer patients we see, they really don't have a strong family history or a genetic predisposition to breast cancer. We know that that yearly mammograms really help improve our ability to detect to detect cancer early."
Garton passed away in November 2020 due to cancer in other organs. Heims says her mom left her with an invaluable gift – knowledge.
"It's the genetic hand that me and my mom were dealt, and I just want to make the best of it and stay on top of my medical care," Heims said. "And I already have a track record of something being caught very early and having a good outcome."
She plans to keep undergoing regular cancer screenings as she moves forward with hope and optimism for the future.