May 26, 2006 4:07 pm US/Eastern
Conquering Breast Cancer
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
At her best friend's wedding, Jenna Glazer is remembered as the beaming bridesmaid, so excited for her childhood pal. While planning the big event, Jenna was as much, if not more, of a priority as the flowers, gowns and music. At the time, Jenna was going through treatment for cancer.
Many of the guests couldn't even tell that Jenna was in a fight for her life. She had beendiagnosed with breat cancer and had completed four months of chemotherapy and now was starting radiation, just days before the wedding.
"I had a wig since I still didn't have any hair," Jenna said. "And I used body makeup because I was pale and had radiation burn."
That was last year. This year, the friends have been forcedto trade places.
What are the odds that two life-long friends would both wind up with breast cancer?
The newlywed, Stephanie, was diagnosed in February and recently had surgery.
"I'm going today to see the radiation oncologist and I'm starting radiation," Stephanie said.
Stephanie is among the more than 214,000 people expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. The majority of those diagnosed are more than 40 years old.
But Jenna and Stephanie are both only 34.
They also are in the very early stage and survival rates for stage one breat cancer are extremely high. She will do excellent.
A good prognosis because of early detection.
To catch it early, the American Cancer Society recommends an annual mamogram for women, starting at age 40. Women with a family history should talk with their doctors about starting the mamograms earlier. For younger women, a clinical breast exam is recommended.
For her care, Stephanie's trust for the doctors at the Iris Cantor Women's Health Center provided her a unique facility where she has access to all the tests and all the specialists she needs.
There, she can have three doctors in one room looking at one patient, looking at their films, reviewing their medical history.
We observed one relatively rare surgery at New York Hospital that uses new skin-saving technology, an options for some women who discover breast cancer early.
During the operation, the breast surgeon performs a mastectomy, removing the cancerous mass and the structive ssurgeon immediately replaces it withthe patient's own tissue from the abdomen.
"We've done everthing we can to cure this woman," said Dr. Alexander Swistel, "She's goingto have a normal life, she's going to be able to forget that she ever had surgery."
Encouraging words from the doctor, but how is the patient?
"I could not believe how my body looks the way it did before."
Meet 55 year old Margaret Diugliano, the woman whose surgery we observed.
"I was expecting to see gnarled incision lines. I was so surprised. I said: They operated on the wrong breast."
Because Margaret caught her cancer early, she had choices. And she went with the option that came with the lowest chance of recurrence.
"This procedure gave me control over the cancer. Instead of the desease controlling me."
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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