Marisa 'eM' Louw

This article first appeared in the Parys Gazette on 1 October 2020 According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), breast cancer affects 1 in 25 women in the country. It is the second most common cancer after non-melanoma skin cancer and accounts for 0.7% of recorded deaths (approximately 4 million women) every year. Estimations are that about 19.4 million women over the age of 15 live at-risk of a cancer diagnosis. Awareness of the signs and symptoms can lead to early discovery and therefore improved treatment results. What are the risk factors for breast cancer? Although breast cancer usually affects older women, women of all ages are at risk, especially if there is a family history of breast cancer. Other risk factors are being overweight, inactive, alcohol consumption, bad eating habits, and smoking. Early detection is key Apart from monthly self-examinations, it is essential to go for a routine mammogram once a year. Your medical aid or hospital plan will p...

  First published in Parys Gazette on 24 September 2020 I went for my first-ever routine mammogram in December 2017 when I was 43 years old. It showed no signs of malignancy. In July 2019, I decided to go for another screening, and the clinical report stated in big, bold letters: BIRADS category 5–85 per cent chance for malignancy. A second opinion at a different radiologist confirmed that I should go for a biopsy and a few days later, I received the devastating news: I have Stage 2 lobular pleomorphic breast cancer that is positive for hormone receptors and the HER-2 protein. I’ve learnt that there are many different types of breast cancer. My kind of cancer affects less than five per cent of breast cancer patients worldwide and it has a poorer prognosis than other breast cancers. The tumour in my right breast was small – it only measured 15 mm, which is why I did not feel a lump during my self-examinations that I do religiously. But because lobular pleomorphic breast cancer is s...

 

  I remember this day, one year ago, as if it happened yesterday. At 10 o'clock, I walked into the radiology practice for my second-ever routine mammogram. And at noon I left confused, and in tears, because the radiologist found a suspicious mass in my right breast. Four agonising weeks later, my general health practitioner confirmed that I have breast cancer. Over the past 12 months, I have had six surgeries under general anaesthetic and 18 weeks of chemotherapy. I started an 18-month immune targeted therapy regime with an insanely expensive drug called Herceptin. My breast cancer is HER2 positive, which means that I have extra copies of the gene that makes the HER2 protein. The drug attaches itself to the cells and blocks the growth signal, which can slow or stop the spread of cancer significantly. My cancer also tested positive for hormone receptors which means that the estrogen produced by my body acts as food for cancer. As a result, part of my treatment includes blocking my b...