Fear of COVID-19 almost leads to failure of breast cancer diagnosis

As a clinical art therapist at Miami-Dade County Public School, Morgen Chesonis-Gonzalez is constantly committed to undergoing annual mammograms and other medical examinations during the summer. Last year it was different. The pandemic killed her life, the vaccine was not yet available, and the two mothers were worried that she and her family would be infected with COVID-19 when she went to the doctor. So she postponed the screening – until her persistent pain in her armpits convinced her to finally see a doctor in August. It was a decision that saved her life.

After a mammogram and some follow-up tests last August, Chesonis Gonzalez, 47, was diagnosed with stage 2 triple-negative breast cancer, a particularly aggressive type of cancer that can metastasize rapidly. I did. Her GP introduced her to what she called “Team A.” Miami Cancer Institute – Oncologist / hematologist Grace One, MD, And Breast Surgery Oncologist Starr Mautner, MD

For Mrs. Chesonis Gonzalez, who works with children with emotional and behavioral disabilities, the news was like a stomach punch. “It was terrible and completely unexpected,” she says.

Her previous year’s mammogram did not detect any signs of breast cancer and she has no family history. Still, she was in pain there because the cancer had already spread through her lymphatic system to the axillary region between her armpits and chest. “I’m still young and have two children. Suddenly I faced my own death,” she says in tears.

To make matters worse, Mrs. Chesonis-Gonzalez had a second type of cancer in the same breast and needed different treatments for two different tumors. “One of the things I’ve learned about all the advances in breast cancer treatment is the ability to target different types of tumors with different types of treatment,” she says. She said that a combination of chemotherapy and surgery would be needed to treat large, invasive tumors.

Mrs. Chesonis-Gonzalez received four months of chemotherapy before the tumor shrank to a size that could be surgically resected. “I came every other week for chemotherapy,” she recalls. “Every other week, I had to come to a blood test to see if I could tolerate the next chemotherapy the next week.”

In February of this year, Mrs. Chesonis-Gonzalez underwent her surgery, followed by six weeks of rigorous daily radiation therapy that she had just completed. Six months from now, if her skin is completely healed from radiation therapy, she will undergo breast reconstruction surgery. Miguel A. Medina III, MD, A plastic surgeon and reconstructive surgeon who is responsible for microsurgery at the Miami Cancer Institute.

Her experience taught her important lessons about the importance of health examinations and early detection, says Mrs. Chesonis-Gonzalez. It’s also why she accepted an invitation to join the Baptist Health Cancer Experts panel at a press conference held at the Miami Cancer Institute earlier this week.

Included panel Michael Zinner, MD, CEO and Executive Medical Director of Miami Cancer Institute, Jane Mendes, MD, Responsible for breast surgery, and Mark Dilevsky, MDThe head of general thoracic surgery at the Cancer Center, who worked on “lowering alerts” (as much as 85%) in pandemic mammograms and other cancer screenings.

Mentioning the expected increase in cancer-related deaths over the next decade due to delayed or overlooked screening, Dr. Zinner called the situation “a time bomb, with a 10-year fuse,” keeping people up to date. Begged to keep. screening.

At a press conference, Mrs. Chesonis Gonzalez spoke eloquently about her experience and the challenges she and her family faced during treatment.

“I was still working, trying to raise my family and dealing with my illness,” she recalls. “It was very difficult to juggle everything,” she says, the fact that all of this happened during the pandemic made it even more difficult – especially for her children. “At COVID-19, they couldn’t go to school and meet their friends, their mother had cancer, and their normality was completely upside down,” she says.

While she was being treated, friends and support groups were as decisive as members of her family’s church and her daughter’s girl scouts who delivered food to her family when she was ill and unable to cook. Provided some help. “It was very important to get their help,” she says. “I wouldn’t have been able to do that without them.”

Mrs. Chesonis-Gonzalez says she is very grateful to the team of experts who took care of her at the Miami Cancer Institute. “Everything we needed to overcome this cancer was available in one place, including doctors, staff, technology and support services,” she says. “And if I had any problems or questions about my treatment plan, all the doctors could immediately talk to each other.”

Regarding her concerns about COVID-19 exposure, Mrs. Chesonis-Gonzalez first confirmed that she is now fully vaccinated, but that safety measures are in place everywhere in the Miami Cancer Study. He says he was relieved when he came to the place. “Social distance, face covering, regular cleaning, and screening and testing-everyone here focuses on making things as safe and hygienic as possible.”

Her treatment was physically and mentally difficult, but Mrs. Chesonis Gonzalez says she was very relieved to receive the treatment she needed to survive. “I know that cancer can occur in anyone at any age,” she says. “But I’m only 47 years old. One of the reasons I’ve continued to experience all of this is that I’m not determined to go see my grandchildren someday. Too Soon, hopefully, but someday. “

At the end of the press conference, Mrs. Chesonis Gonzalez rang the bell, which meant the end of treatment for the cancer patient. She says it was a special moment for her, but the Miami Cancer Institute still has COVID-19 precautions in place, so her family can be with her to ring the bell symbolically. It’s bittersweet because I couldn’t do it.

Her message to both men and women: “Don’t delay your screening,” advises Mrs. Chesonis Gonzalez, who shuddered to think about what would happen if she delayed her screening any further. “Early detection and intervention will lead to a better prognosis for survival-I’m proof of that.”

tag: breast cancer, Cancer screening, COVID-19 (New Coronavirus Infection), Grace One MD, Jane Mendes MD, Mammogram, Mark Dilevsky MD, Miami Cancer Institute, Michael Zinner MD, Miguel A. Medina MD, Tomorrow Chesonis-Gonzales, Starr Mautner MD