Be Breast Cancer Aware

When the provider becomes the patient, there’s mourning.

Mourning what your life was, and mourning what you thought it would be.

Leah Stancil, LSU Swimming and Diving’s assistant coach, had always been on top of checking herself for any irregularities in her breasts, and this time in June of 2019 was no different. Until it was. 

Stancil thought she noticed a lump and brought it to her doctor’s attention. Although the abnormality she noticed was not the culprit, a diagnostic screening revealed that Stancil tested positive for the HER2 neu gene, and therefore was diagnosed with breast cancer. 

The HER2 neu gene is the most aggressive form of breast cancer. It had spread to Stancil’s lymph nodes as well, so she had to endure the most intense treatment because of the disease’s strength. 

Although Stancil, a devoted wife, mother and coach, had to become the patient, she would not let go of her provider duties. From July through December of 2019, she received six rounds of five different chemotherapy drugs every three weeks and changed her coaching schedule to remain present for her team. As the head coach of Tulane’s swimming and diving program, Stancil would coach for two weeks and take the week she received the chemotherapy off, as the brain fog, sickness and exhaustion were overwhelming. 

“Literally, my husband would have to peel me off the ground, just breaking down,” Stancil recalled. 

Stancil had a single mastectomy in December of 2019 to remove the affected breast, then received 24 rounds of radiation treatments. She had a double mastectomy after radiation, on top of the one chemotherapy drug she continued to take through radiation and both surgeries. The whole treatment process took about a year, with chemotherapy ending in June 2020 and her last surgery done in July 2020. 

Today, Stancil is about four years cancer free, but still processing all of the mental, physical and emotional changes that the disease imparted on her and her family. In Stancil’s words, the double mastectomy is essentially the same as amputating a part of your body, and the other treatments caused her to lose two things she has always identified with. 

“It was really a mourning process,” Stancil said. “Being physically fit, but having to make myself toxic and sick to save my life by putting all this poison in my body. Losing your hair, losing your strength. What your life was, was no longer going to be. You also have to worry that what you’re doing may not even work.”

As a provider and patient, Stancil is still a planner. She struggled with the dependency of treatment because she always had to wait to see how her body would react before moving on to the next step. Surrendering this control caused her to rely on her faith in a way she never had before. Initially against sharing her diagnosis, a close friend encouraged her to allow others to help her and see how God would move. 

“For me, I was always a provider,” Stancil said. “I did everything for my family. It was really difficult for me to learn that I didn’t have control over everything and to rely on other people. I had to rely on my faith to allow God to provide help for me in ways I didn’t know I could get help.”

Whether it was the meal trains, prayers or words of encouragement, Stancil and her family made it out of the woods with the Lord and the people He sent leading the way. 

“It was the hardest year of my life, and I trained for two Olympics,” Stancil said. “It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do, physically, mentally and emotionally. I would not have gotten through it without my faith.”

Stancil’s faith is carrying her toward being five years cancer-free, where the chance for recurrence significantly decreases. She has no feeling in her chest, but her hair is back, and so is her strength and gratitude for every little thing. 

“I’m thankful for being tired only because you were busy before, not because you have chemotherapy,” Stancil said. “I’m thankful for the monotony of life.”

Breast Cancer and Early Detection

Dr. Sobia Ozair is a Hematologist/Oncologist at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She offered some valuable proactive tips for women to consider as we celebrate breast cancer survivor Coach Leah Stancil and all other friends and loved ones who have been impacted by the challenges of breast cancer.

Screening

For women under 40 years old, there are no formal screening guidelines due to their lower risk. Additionally, mammography in younger women may not be as accurate because they tend to have dense breasts, making it more difficult for the scan to pick up anything cancerous. Women without a family history of breast or ovarian cancer can conduct self-exams, but it is not highly encouraged because they can produce a higher rate of unnecessary breast biopsies that show benign disease. 

“It’s really about knowing your body,” Dr. Ozair says. “If you notice something – pain or visual differences – don’t ignore it, but we don’t want women to do self-exams that lead to doing a whole lot for nothing.”

Risk

Any woman, regardless of family history, should start routine mammograms at least every one to two years once they reach age 40. The findings from the first mammogram will help determine how often a woman should be screened. 

Women with a family history of breast cancer are at a higher risk than those without. A woman with a first-degree relative that had breast or ovarian cancer should ask her doctor about beginning routine screening earlier than normal, i.e. around ages 25-30. Additionally, women in this category can inquire about getting tested for the BRCA gene, a gene that increases one’s risk of getting breast cancer. Women without a history of breast or ovarian cancer in their family do not necessarily need to be screened for the BRCA gene because having the gene does not mean you will get cancer, nor does not having the gene mean that you will not get cancer. 

When in doubt, ask! 

Ask your doctor if you should be tested for the BRCA gene or if you should begin mammograms in your current life stage. Your doctor will know the background questions to ask you and they will provide the appropriate recommendations.