Persevering Through Cancer
- Actress Miranda McKeon, 22, has graduated from the University of Southern California, conquering this collegiate milestone through the pandemic and stage 3 breast cancer, an ultimate display of perseverance.
- Though the Anne with an E star began her first year during COVID and ended after completing treatment for stage 3 breast cancer, she chooses to cherish the positive memories, like building a new group of friends and support group through such a tumultuous time.
- Breast cancer in younger women is likely to be a more aggressive form of the disease and also at an advanced stage, because screening for younger women is not standard.
- Although the guidelines for breast cancer screening just changed significantly last month, the screenings are for women 40 and over. For younger women, staying up on your doctor’s visits, asking about genetic testing and performing routine self-exams on your breasts can help stay ahead of a potential diagnosis.
McKeon, looking radiant in a white dress and “cardinal” red-and-gold graduation sash from the prestigious school, shared about her experience on Instagram after conquering this collegiate milestone through life’s curveballs, an ultimate test of perseverance.
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Starting from the top, she began her post, “College was far from perfect. I wanted it to be perfect so badly. I wanted to nod my head and not feel like a liar when someone would shout “these are the best four years of our lives!!!” My college experience was MUCH different than I how I anticipated, so let me run you through it 🏃♀️.”
“Freshman year — covid. In my head we should have had communal dorms and an open door policy: in reality we took online classes in an off-campus building with sterile fluorescent lighting and fire alarms that went off every night at 2am (gateway survivors unite). We would wander around the halls with white claws in hand praying to hear a party going. We got to know each other in 10x speed. These people are still my best friends and will be for forever.”
“Sophomore year— cancer,” she continued. “In my head it should have been a perfect year: in reality my roommates would fix wig before we went out to make sure my fake hairline was straight and didn’t make my forehead look ginormous. I would get home and lay in bed with bone pain coursing through my legs during my fourth month of chemo.”
“Junior year — 1/2 depressed 1/2 euphoria. In my head, cancer should have ruined the rest of my college experience: in reality the emotional fog eventually lifted. I studied in Rome, traveled all over Europe, and experienced happiness I never thought would be possible again.
Finally, “Senior year — growth, healing & friendship. I released the “should” “best” and “perfect” ness of it all.”
Ending her share, McKeon wrote: “Thank you @uscedu & the people I met here I love you with my whole heart.”
Miranda McKeon’s Breast Cancer Journey
When first announcing her diagnosis, McKeon said a small lump “the size of a jellybean” in her breast initially caught her attention while she was out at a party.
“I stepped away into the bathroom. I peed, fixed my hair, and performed the classic boob scoop a typical mid party practice,” the comedic actress recalled in an Instagram post.
“I brushed across a lump that was definitely not there before. It was the size of a jellybean but powerful enough to sink my stomach and set off emergency sirens in my head.”
After getting in for a mammogram, McKeon also underwent a biopsy and ultrasound. The tests confirmed her diagnosis of stage 3 hormone-positive breast cancer in June 2021.
The New Jersey native went on to have a double mastectomy, which is the removal of both breasts, and breast reconstruction.
McKeon summed up her health story on her personal website in a blog titled One in a Million:
“With no family history, the states for my age/diagnosis are truly One in a Million,” the former Broadway star wrote.
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“I quickly froze my eggs, completed four months of intense chemotherapy, grappled with hair loss and physical trauma, had a double mastectomy and finished off with 25 rounds of radiation.”
“To keep it short: it was a wild ride,” she concluded.
Celebrating Milestones: Finishing Treatment and School Simultaneously
Last month, McKeon happily announced another milestone — she finished another phase of her treatment.
“I love adding to this series each month – today we celebrate the end of Verzineo (!!!!) bye girl <3,” the Anne With an E star wrote on Instagram.
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Verzenio (abemaciclib) belongs to a class of drugs known as CDK 4/6 inhibitors, which control the spread of cancer cells. It is also known as targeted therapy.
“I’ve always struggled to balance how to share cancer content in a way that feels sustainable but I feel like I’ve been finding my groove with these Lupron vlogs & it feels so good,” continued McKeon alongside her upbeat video post.
Dr. Charmain Jackman, a Harvard-trained licensed psychologist explained the benefits of positive mental health while facing a health diagnosis.
“In the face of a life-threatening diagnosis, fear, hopelessness, and despair can quickly take space in your mind,” Dr. Jackman told SurvivorNet. “However, your mindset is a superpower and can be a potent antidote to illness. Practicing gratitude, cultivating joy, and connecting to the community are practical ways to develop a resilient mindset,” Dr. Jackman said of practicing perseverance.
Younger Women and Breast Cancer
There are about 11,000 women aged 40 and under diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the United States, says Dr. Ann Partridge, an oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. That’s a small percentage of the approximate 260,000 women diagnosed annually in this country.
But in some ways a diagnosis for a younger woman can often be even more devastating because, as Dr. Partridge says, the cancer is likely to be a more aggressive form of the disease and also at an advanced stage, because screening for younger women is not standard.
Aggressive Breast Cancer in Young Women
Although the guidelines for breast cancer screening changed significantly just last month, the screenings are for women 40 and over.
Women who are at an average risk for breast cancer and between the ages 40 and 74 are being advised to get mammograms every two years, according to new finalized recommendations from an important advisory board called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and published in the Journal of The American Medical Association (JAMA).
The new USPSTF guidelines mark a significant change from its 2016 recommendation, which stated that women should start biennial screenings at age 50. The guidelines apply to women with an average risk of breast cancer, including people with a family history of the disease and risk factors like dense breasts.
For younger women, staying up on your doctor’s visits, asking about genetic testing and performing a self-exam on your breasts can help stay ahead of a potential diagnosis.
Breast Cancer: What to Look Out For
Being aware of how your breasts normally look and feel is an important factor when it comes to breast cancer detection. Doing regular self-exams is one way to familiarize yourself with how your breasts normally feel so that you will be able to identify anything out of the ordinary like a lump or hard mass.
Below are some other symptoms to look out for:
- New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
- Any change in the size or shape of the breast
- Swelling on all or part of the breast
- Skin dimpling or peeling
- Breast or nipple pain
- Nipple turning inward
- Redness or scaliness of breast or nipple skin
- Nipple discharge (not associated with breastfeeding)
Of course, these symptoms can be due to things other than cancer. For example, a lot of women experience breast tenderness during certain times in their menstrual cycles. If you are experiencing lingering symptoms or feel a lump that doesn’t go away, be sure to get in to see your doctor.
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