VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Tasha Cade stood in front of a crowded room filled with women at a breast cancer awareness event in Hampton this month to share her journey. Cade’s experience battling breast cancer is one she still can’t believe happened to her.
“I’m supposed to be celebrating this bundle of joy that’s in my belly, but I’m on an operating table about to have my breast removed,” Cade recalled of the mastectomy she endured in 2023 during her first trimester. “It still angers me, and obviously still brings on a lot of emotion.”
As Cade first shared with me last year, she raised concerns to several doctors in Hampton Roads about a painful and growing lump in her breast years before she became pregnant.
Watch previous coverage: Virginia Beach woman diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant after years of voicing concerns
She had a good reason to be concerned.
Cade’s grandmother died of breast cancer more than a decade ago. And, according to the American Cancer Society, Black women have a higher risk of developing and dying from breast cancer than their white counterparts. Additionally, Cade had dense breast tissue, which can make it difficult for doctors to detect breast cancer in mammograms.
“I had family history, I’m an African American woman and I have this breast tissue, which were all reasons, you would think, to get a biopsy,” Cade said.
Watch related coverage: Newport News radiologist suggests Black women begin mammograms at 35 due to risk
Cade’s medical records show radiologists did not recommend a biopsy. It wasn’t until Cade became pregnant with her ‘miracle baby’ in 2022 that her obstetrician-gynecologist demanded a surgeon do a biopsy. It revealed the lump was breast cancer.
“I knew something was wrong,” said Cade during a conversation with me this month.
Cade sought the help of doctors at the VCU Massey Cancer Center in Richmond. She said doctors feared the pregnancy hormones would fuel the cancer, so they removed her breast during her second trimester. Cade, and the baby, remained safe during and after the procedure.
Watch related coverage: Watch related coverage: Artificial intelligence is helping Hampton Roads doctors detect breast cancer
Cade gave birth to her son, Kaden, in May 2023. He spent nearly two weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit, and is now a healthy and strong 17-month-old.
“He's healthy. He's so smart, and it's just a miracle,” Cade said.
Cade’s remaining breast was removed months after giving birth. She underwent reconstructive surgery at the end of last year. Now, she’s sharing her journey to educate other women about the signs of breast cancer, and encouraging them to advocate for themselves.
Watch related coverage: New Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic in NN adresses maternal health crisis
“Always get a second, sometimes third opinion,” Cade said during a recent speaking engagement.
Kaden is in the running to become “Baby of the Year,” part of the “America's AdorableBaby Search” competition where “one tiny tot will star in an exclusive ad campaign in Good Housekeeping magazine and take home $25,000”.
Cade said the winnings would help cover the cost of the medical bills incurred during Kaden’s stay in the NICU after he was born last year.
While Cade is counting her blessings now, she shudders to think what would have happened if she had continued to advocate for a biopsy.
Watch related coverage: A Big Bra-ha-ha: Bras become art to raise money for breast cancer prevention
“It is absolutely okay to leave the hospital system that doesn't seem to be serving you well, or the doctor that you suspect is dismissing a change in how you feel,” said Cynthia Fisher, founder and chairman of PatientRightsAdvocate.org.
Fisher offered the following advice for people who are worried that their doctors are dismissing their concerns:
- Seek a second opinion from another doctor or hospital if you believe your concerns about your condition are being dismissed or not being thoroughly investigated.
- Demand the doctor document your concerns and any refusal to perform advanced testing.
- Ask the doctor to explain the tests and tools available to rule out a disease, and why they are choosing not to explore those options.
- Make clear to doctors any family history of disease and demand they document it in their records.
- Seek assistance from a patient advocate to help communicate your concerns to your doctor.
Watch related coverage: March of Dimes: More than 1/3rd of US counties are maternity deserts
“Somewhere between 10 to 17 percent of cancers can be missed by mammograms,” said VCU Massey Cancer Center oncologist Dr. Mary Helen Hackey. “Mammograms have a hard time seeing through younger breasts that are very dense.”
“Something that persists, something that's growing, needs to be evaluated no matter what, even in the face of a normal mammogram,” continued Dr. Hackney. “The only absolute way of knowing what a lump is, is to do a biopsy.”
Hackney continued, “If you don't get an answer from your radiologist or your primary care doctor, then you go see a surgeon. If you don't find the answer from the surgeon, see another surgeon."
“Breast cancer is not a death sentence. Detecting it earlier is really critical in terms of improving that longevity and not dying of breast cancer, and dying of whatever else is intended down the road,” Dr. Hackney emphasized.
