Cancer survivor spreads the word on mammograms
June 3 is National Cancer Survivors Day

Mattye Willis of Little Rock is living proof that breast cancer, like many other types of cancer, is not a death sentence. She has conquered the disease not just once, but twice.

National Cancer Survivors Day is Sunday, June 3. The day was named to recognize all of the people who, like Willis, have beaten cancer and proven that life after cancer diagnosis can be a reality.

Mattye Willis’ living testimony
A new calling for Willis
There IS life after cancer
For more information

Living testimony
Willis’ story began just over three decades ago, when she was 35. It was 1974, a time when breast cancer was seldom discussed on talk shows, in living rooms or even between family members. In fact, the first time she discussed breast cancer with her doctor, she already had it.

Willis had never had a mammogram and knew nothing of breast self-examination. Her husband felt a lump in her left breast, and she quickly had it investigated. Her gynecologist referred her to a surgeon, who told her she needed a biopsy.

These days, most breast biopsies do not require a hospital stay, and most breast cancers can be treated without removing the entire breast. But in 1974, a biopsy meant surgery, and if breast cancer was found, mastectomy — removal of the breast — was the standard treatment.

 “When I woke up that afternoon back in my room, I was bandaged up,” Willis said. “My mother and my father, my husband and my best girlfriend were there. The first thing I asked was, ‘What did he do?’ My best girlfriend was able to say to me that he removed my breast. They were really afraid that I was going to die, because that meant that I had cancer.”

Willis recovered and went back to living her life, but she took care of herself. Every year, she got a mammogram on her right breast, as well as other medical tests to make sure she had no trace of cancer.

She passed the five-year, 10-year and 15-year milestones. Then, after 20 cancer-free years, her yearly mammogram revealed a mass near her right breast, beside her chest wall. It was not a lump that she could feel, but it was breast cancer.

This time, Willis had more options. Her doctor told her she was a candidate for lumpectomy — removing the lump but leaving the rest of her breast intact. Willis opted for mastectomy, removal of the entire breast. “I had been one-sided for 20 years. The Lord gave me a chance to be even one more time,” she explained. “But that’s not for everybody. We need to get all the information we can and make our decisions based on what is best for us.”

She was also treated with chemotherapy. “I lost all my hair,” Willis said. “But I tell everybody, hair grows back. I was never sick. Some people do get sick from the chemotherapy, but they now have medications that will help you to manage it.”

A new calling
Willis beat breast cancer again and came out of it with a new perspective. She soon gave up her career as a job counselor to answer a new calling: spreading the word about breast health and mammograms to African American women throughout Arkansas. “I heard about the Witness Project and what they were doing,” she said. “I thought, I’m a survivor and this is something that I can do.”

Willis served for seven years as deputy director of the Witness Project. This nationally recognized, faith-based organization is dedicated to educating African American women about breast cancer, mammograms and breast self-examination. Now retired, she still volunteers and often travels to other states to help new chapters of the Witness Project get started. And she still witnesses to other women by telling her story.

For Willis, the chance to help other women has been healing for her as well. “I get up every morning knowing that it’s a blessing to still be here,” she said. “I’m thankful that I’ve been through the things I’ve been through, and to know that I’m still in good health and I’m still able to help others.”

Willis hopes her story will convince other women that they can beat breast cancer, especially if they get yearly mammograms so that cancer can be detected at early stages. She points out that treatment for breast cancer is much more advanced today than it was when she was first treated, and the survival rate is much higher — as high as 95 percent if caught in the early stages.

“The main thing is to have a positive attitude and to follow through with what you need to do,” Willis said. “I’ve done all right. I’ve sent my children to college, we’ve had two weddings where you max out your credit cards, and now I’ve got seven grandchildren. I did just fine, because of early detection.”

There IS life after cancer
Willis is just one of many who have survived cancer – and not just breast cancer, but also colorectal, cervical, prostate, skin and many other types.

About 10.5 million Americans are cancer survivors, and that number continues to increase as our understanding of cancer grows and medical treatments continue to improve. In fact, the time may quickly be approaching when some types of cancer will be considered chronic illnesses that can be managed with medicines, instead of deadly diseases.

Many cancer survivors agree that you can live a fulfilling life after a cancer diagnosis. Cancer survivors often face many challenges, including physical, emotional and financial hardships, as well as the fear of recurrence. But knowledge, hope and inspiration can help beat cancer, and give survivors the opportunity to lead active, productive lives.

For more information on cancer and cancer survivorship:
National Cancer Survivors Day:
www.ncsdf.org
National Cancer Institute:
www.cancer.gov
American Society of Clinical Oncology:
www.PLWC.org
American Cancer Society’s 2007 Cancer Facts & Figures:
http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/CAFF2007PWSecured.pdf
American Cancer Society:
www.cancer.org