Alexandria, VA — I’m a two-time survivor of breast cancer. Both times I found the lump myself.
The first time I was relatively young, 39. I made appointments with my gynecologist and Georgetown University which was doing a breast cancer study then. I planned to take whichever appointment came in first and cancel the other. My gynecologist came in first and encouraged me to participate in the five-year Georgetown study. I did.
After watching the growth for a year, they recommended a biopsy. I didn’t think I had breast cancer when I was seen by the surgeon the first time. I playfully asked if the biopsy scar could be in the shape of a Raggedy Ann heart.
The surgeon recommended mastectomy rather than lumpectomy explaining it’s what he would recommend to his wife under the same circumstances. I followed his advice. He also recommended that if the biopsy revealed I had cancer, I have the mastectomy on the spot. I said no. I was the single mom of four children, the youngest not quite 13. if the biopsy confirmed cancer, I needed time to explain to them what was happening. I also opted to forego a hysterectomy despite the link between estrogen and breast cancer. I didn’t want more parts of my body cut away as a precaution.
Forty-four years later, in March 2021, I opted for a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy.
After I found the second lump, on the day I was scheduled to see my primary care doctor, I couldn’t feel it and was tempted to cancel my appointment, but didn’t. My doctor didn’t feel it either. Still, she ordered a mammogram and sonogram. Those tests showed a difference from my last mammogram and indicated a likelihood of cancer.
I want to stress the importance of women checking themselves regularly and asking their doctor if they notice any changes, even if they feel silly asking.
In 2025, the American Cancer Society estimates that 316,950 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 42,170 will die from the disease. Breast cancer mainly occurs in middle-aged and older women. The median age at the time of breast cancer diagnosis is 62.
The death rate from breast cancer decreased by about 40% between 1989 and 2020 to around 43,700 deaths. The decrease is attributable to earlier detection methods such as mammography, better treatments, and increased awareness of the disease.
Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer partly because they are more likely to contract an aggressive type of invasive breast cancer compared to other racial and ethnic groups.
Since 2012, the incidence of breast cancer is increasing by about 1% each year. The rate is higher for women under 40 years old, by about 1.4% each year. This increase is attributable to lifestyle factors such as obesity, consumption of alcohol, having children at older ages, having fewer children, and environmental factors. (https://seer.cancer.gov/statistics-network/explorer/)
In 1994, after her diagnosis of breast cancer, then City Manager Vola Lawson established the Alexandria Walk to Fight Breast Cancer. The annual walk was discontinued in 2014, but to ensure that women who remain in need can access critical screenings, the Vola Lawson Breast Cancer Memorial Fund was established.
To donate to the fund, make checks payable to ACT for Alexandria and specify the Vola Lawson Breast Cancer Fund in the memo line. Mail or deliver to ACT for Alexandria, 201 N. Union Street, Suite 110, Alexandria, VA 22314.
To donate online, visit Vola Lawson Breast Cancer Fund, https://actforalexandria.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1170
Dr. David Weintritt, recognized as a Living Legend of Alexandria in 2023, established the National Breast Cancer Foundation in 2014 to assist low-income and uninsured women get properly screened, diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. The facility moved to Alexandria in 2018.
Even after my second breast cancer diagnosis, I was somewhat in a state of denial. When the doctors explained the treatment options and assured me they would give me the best care, I thought you don’t need to tell me this, I’m not really sick. Now, just a few years later, I accept how vulnerable I am.
When I completed the last radiation session, I was given an angel pin, something given to all the patients who complete their programs. It’s a small thing but it feels good to have an angel on my shoulder. I sent them a print of my “Welcome Hope” mosaic to thank them.
Mosaic Artist/Photographer Nina Tisara is the founder of Living Legends of Alexandria.
