Power of Support While Battling Cancer
- Grammy-winning singer and breast cancer survivor Melissa Etheridge, 62, is looking back on her late dad’s support and how it led to her successful music career.
- Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer after discovering a lump in her breast in 2004. She underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy to treat the cancer.
- A support system, like how Etheridge had with her parents while growing up and with her loved ones through her cancer journey and loss of a son, is always helpful through life’s challenges or when it comes to reaching toward one’s goals.
- Support can also be comprised of strangers who have come together because of a shared cancer experience. Mental health professionals can also be critical parts of a support system.
The “Come to My Window” singer—who tragically lost her son to opioid addiction in 2020 and battled breast cancer after her 2004 diagnosis, took to social media this week to share a throwback video clip of herself talking about how her father’s support led to her success as a musician.
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When asked about her mother’s influence on her career, she explained, “She was always very … she was the very intelligent one. She really wanted me to go to college. She wasn’t … she didn’t discourage me. She didn’t know about the music business.
“And you know what? She grew up with college education. Right? You get a college education, you get a job, and you succeed in the world.”
During an earlier interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Etheridge said her dad, John, worked as a teacher at Leavenworth High School in Kansas, and a basketball coach.
She said, “He was my best friend. My first memories are riding around on his shoulders as a three-year-old at basketball games. He used to take me to the school gym and when he was busy training, he’d pull out the trampoline for me to amuse myself.
“Dad grew up in rural Missouri. He came from a dirt-poor family but was given an athletics scholarship at school, which changed his life. Growing up with older sisters made him comfortable around women.”
As for how he helped her pave her career path, she added, “When I was eight, Dad bought my 12-year-old sister Jennifer an acoustic guitar. I begged to learn but the guitar teacher said I was too young, that my fingers would bleed and I’d stop playing.
“Dad gave in. My fingers did bleed but I never stopped playing.”
She also said, “Dad was the one who took me to talent shows between the ages of 12 and 18. I played all over Kansas and Missouri, and he was always with me.
“During high school, I played in a lot of bands alongside married men with families. They taught me how to be a performer, respect other musicians and be kind to one another on the road. Dad accompanied me to all the gigs.”
Melissa Etheridge’s Inspiring Cancer Journey
Etheridge’s life has not always been easy, and it’s certainly been a source of inspiration for some of her music. Part of her life’s journey includes a bout with breast cancer.
In 2004, she was on tour when she discovered a lump in her left breast. A biopsy confirmed her breast cancer diagnosis. Although her exact type of breast cancer isn’t publicly known, it was stage 2 upon discovery.
“It was a rather large tumor, but had only contaminated one lymph node,” she told ABC News.
Etheridge had a lumpectomy to remove a 4-centimeter tumor from her breast. This procedure involves removing just the cancer and an area of healthy tissue around it. Her surgery also included the removal of 14 lymph nodes after discovering the cancer had spread.
WATCH: Should I Have a Lumpectomy or Mastectomy?
She then received chemotherapy which involves giving the singer drugs designed to kill cancer cells. Chemo is usually administered either orally or intravenously. The “Angels Would Fall” singer also received radiation therapy. This kind of cancer treatment uses high-energy beams such as X-rays aimed at cancer cells designed to kill them.
In 2005, the singing cancer warrior bravely performed at the Grammy Awards while still bald from chemotherapy.
She said the morning of the awards show, she had undergone radiation treatment and felt weak.
“I remember halfway through, thinking in my mind, ‘Oh my God,” Etheridge said of her memorable yet inspiring performance.
Thankfully, her course of treatment proved to be successful and she’s still able to perform across the country with her most famous hits. Etheridge is also set to go on tour with The Indigo Girls later this year.
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Expert Resources On Breast Cancer
She says her cancer journey positively impacted her mental health in retrospect. Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik tells SurvivorNet that cancer patients’ emotions can vary before, during, and after a diagnosis.
Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology who also advocates for cancer patients to prioritize their mental health, told SurvivorNet, “We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes.”
“So, working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival. If that’s related to what activities you do that bring you joy, then you should try to do more of those activities,” Dr. Chase adds.
Power of Support
A cancer diagnosis can be extremely stressful. One way SurvivorNet experts encourage cancer patients to alleviate some of that stress by leaning on their support system, some Etheridge has had throughout her whole life.
A support system can be made up of loved ones like family and friends. It can also be comprised of strangers who have come together because of a shared cancer experience. Mental health professionals can also be critical parts of a support system.
WATCH: Sharing details about your cancer diagnosis.
“Some people don’t need to go outside of their family and friend’s circle. They feel like they have enough support there,” psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik told SurvivorNet.
“But for people who feel like they need a little bit more, it’s important to reach out to a mental health professional,” Dr. Plutchik added.
Dr. Plutchik also stressed it is important for people supporting cancer warriors to understand their emotions can vary day-to-day.
“People can have a range of emotions—they can include fear, anger—and these emotions tend to be fluid. They can recede and return based on where someone is in the process,” Dr. Plutchik said.
Breast Cancer Screenings
As for breast cancer screenings, a mammogram is the primary test doctors use to check for breast cancer. The wide consensus is that women should have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54.
And while leading organizations like the American Cancer Society say women should have the option to begin annual screenings between 40 and 45, there is some disagreement among doctors as to whether this is beneficial.
For example, after saying for years that women shouldn’t begin mammograms until 50, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently changed their guidelines to say that women of average risk should begin at 40.
Dr. Connie Lehman, a diagnostic radiologist who specializes in breast cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, says when you begin mammograms is a decision you should discuss with your doctor, as they can help you understand your specific circumstances and weigh the benefits and potential risks of earlier screening.
Follow That Fire: Life After Cancer Will be Different, That Doesn’t Have to be a Bad Thing
Your mammogram results may lead your doctor to recommend further testing with a diagnostic mammogram, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). If these tests suggest changes that might be cancer, you’ll need a biopsy a test in which your doctor removes a small sample of tissue and has it checked for cancer in a lab.
Only a biopsy can confirm or rule out whether you have breast cancer.
Although it can be frightening to go through breast cancer testing, SurvivorNet’s doctors say not to fret. It’s possible for a biopsy to find that a lump is benign or not cancerous.
If you do receive a breast cancer diagnosis, you’ll learn what type of breast cancer you have and the stage of the disease. The stage means how far in your body the cancer has spread.
Though most breast cancers are not linked to inherited genetic mutations, knowing whether you have a mutation could affect the type of treatment you get. SurvivorNet experts recommend all women who are diagnosed with breast cancer be given genetic testing.
Based on your test results, preferences, and personal circumstances (such as your age), you and your doctor will make decisions about how to proceed with treatment, which we have plenty of expert resources on.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, here are some questions you can ask your doctor.
- What can I do to prepare for a double mastectomy?
- What happens before and after the procedure?
- What are the benefits of using implants over my own tissue and vice versa?
- What will recovery look like after the procedure?
- Are there local support groups or therapists who specialize in helping people struggling with a chronic condition?
- Can mental health be part of my treatment plan so I get the support I need?
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
