An Army veteran of 24 years earning the rank of Major, has another title she’s proud of — breast cancer survivor. Overcoming cancer has special meaning for Luella Wallace, 52. She comes from a family that is no stranger to cancer.
When she had to combat the disease herself, she made a personal decision to be as proactive as possible for the sake of her beloved daughters.
“I’m sitting there and the radiologist is there and the nurse’s assistant, and they just grabbed my hand and I came away from this moment thinking, something is wrong,” Wallace said.
Wallace’s breast cancer diagnosis had added meaning for the veteran. Her older sister was previously diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily, her sister was able to overcome the disease. However, her younger sister was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a disease in which cancer cells form in the tissues of the pancreas.
Sadly, Wallace’s younger sister passed away from her cancer battle.
Upon her own cancer diagnosis, Wallace thought about the impact it would have on her mom and daughters.
“My mom is turning 90 in August, and I just didn’t think she could handle it again,” she said. “I’ve got to keep it together because I have daughters and they have to see me strong.”
Since her cancer was caught in its early stage, she opted for a lumpectomy procedure. This procedure involves removing just the cancer and an area of healthy tissue around it.
“I was going to do the lumpectomy initially and that’s what I did because it was very small and only in one breast and then they called me back to say the cancer cells weren’t removed.”
More on Breast Cancer
The lingering cancer cells led Wallace to make a decision that many women battling breast cancer don’t take lightly. She decided to have a double mastectomy which is the removal of both breasts.
Even though she understood the gravity of having her breasts removed she thought about her experience on the battlefield to help put things into perspective.
“I have been around people who don’t have an arm or a leg or have lost their sight and all of these things are way more important than that,” Wallace explained.
Breast surgeon Dr. Sarah Cate explains the difference between lumpectomy and mastectomy.
The brave Army vet and breast cancer survivor is driven by her love for her daughters and supportive family. She’s accomplished many accolades in her life and beating cancer has now been added to that list.
“Based on the last testing, I’m cancer-free,” Wallace said.
Family History & Breast Cancer Risk
Although breast cancer can happen to anyone, there are certain factors that can increase a person’s risk of getting the disease. The known risk factors for breast cancer include:
- Older age
- Having a gene mutation such as the BRCA1 or BRCA2
- Added exposure to estrogen
- Having children after the age of 30
- Exposure to radiation early in life
- Family history of the disease
For Wallace, she had family members who battled cancer so that heightened her risk of getting cancer, too.
Dr. Elizabeth Comen breaks down factors that may increase your breast cancer risk.
“Some people think that breast cancer is only inherited through genes on the mom’s side but it can also be related to a genetic mutation that can be found on the father’s side,” SurvivorNet medical advisor and breast oncologist Dr. Elizabeth Comen explained.
What Goes into Deciding to Get a Mastectomy?
When a woman decides to have a mastectomy, several factors go into that decision. Among things to consider is whether to have breast-conserving surgery such as a lumpectomy. These decisions should be made alongside your doctor by having an open and candid discussion about risks vs. benefits.
Other factors that weigh into the decision to get a mastectomy are the size and features of the tumor and your family history.
Wallace’s cancer was caught early but she also has a family history of breast cancer. These variables likely factored into her decision to ultimately undergo a mastectomy.
“Even for early stage one breast cancer, a woman may elect a mastectomy to remove her whole breast. Sometimes, this is something that’s done prophylactically, meaning a woman just has a high risk of breast cancer in their family. To prevent breast cancer, they’re thinking about removing their breasts,” Dr. Comen explained.
However, the gravity of your decision comes into full view especially if you choose to get a mastectomy and remove both of your breasts.
“Once you remove the breast, they’re gone. They don’t grow back and that it can be incredibly personal to psychologically and physically prepare for that kind of surgery,” Dr. Comen added.
“A double mastectomy typically takes about two hours for the cancer part of the operation, the removing of the tissue,” Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, tells SurvivorNet.
Some women decide to have their breasts reconstructed and have implants put in right after the mastectomy, while others don’t have reconstruction at all.
Dr. Port added that most women do opt to have some sort of reconstruction. The length of these surgeries can vary a great deal. When implants are used, the procedure can take two to three hours (so the total surgery time would be around five hours). There is also the option to take one’s own tissue (usually from the belly area) and transfer it into the breast area during reconstruction.
Black Women & Breast Cancer Risk
It is recommended that black women begin breast cancer screenings sooner than white women.
“Black women are younger when they are diagnosed with breast cancer and have cancer at more advanced stages at diagnosis” according to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine. The research suggests breast cancer-related deaths can be reduced by 57% if they begin mammograms at age 40.
Dr. Anita Johnson explains that access to care is key.
One of the reasons Black women tend to have a harder time with breast cancer stems from racial disparities in healthcare.
“When it comes to breast cancer the mortality rates for African American women are substantially higher than Caucasian women,” Dr. Anita Johnson, a Breast Surgical Oncologist at Cancer Treatment Centers of America told SurvivorNet.
“When we look at stage four, the outcomes are much worse as compared to Caucasian women. When we look at the standard of care treatment options based on stages, in some cases, African American women are not being treated with the same standard of care treatment options,” Dr. Johnson added.
Dr. Johnson points to more education, clinical trials, and increased access to care to help improve health outcomes for Black women battling breast cancer.
Questions to 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?
Learn more about SurvivorNet’s rigorous medical review process.
