Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Staying aware could save your life

CORBIN, Ky. (WYMT) - Joyce Brown was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. She discovered a lump on her breast while showering.

After finding the lump, she was unable to get an appointment at a doctor for almost a month, so she ordered her own mammogram. Some say this action may have saved her life because she had an aggressive form of cancer.

Brown went through various treatments, including chemotherapy, which made her lose her hair. She says she leaned on friends and family during her battle. Humor was one of her go-to forms of coping.

Brown said all women should get their yearly mammograms and pay attention to any signs that are associated with cancer.

A Nurse Navigator at Baptist Health Corbin said people shouldn’t be afraid of the diagnosis. She said early diagnosis is critical, but modern technology and treatment have made survival much more likely.

Health officials also said that, because yearly cancer screenings were widely canceled during the pandemic, people need to make sure they are making appointments to get them done again.

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