Breast Cancer Stories from U-M Cancer Center

his year, an estimated 178,000 women will hear their doctors say “You have breast cancer.” More than 40,000 women will die from the disease.

As October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here are some of the hot topics in breast cancer research and patient care from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center:

Pregnancy after breast cancer

Once Alyssa Tushman knew her young son would not grow up motherless, her next question was whether he would be an only child.

Tushman was 27 and a new mother when she was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. After aggressive treatment – including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery – Tushman was happy to learn that another baby would be possible. And today, she's pregnant with her third child.

Most women are in their 50s or older and thinking about grandchildren when they are diagnosed with breast cancer. But what about that increasing number of women in their 20s and 30s who are diagnosed at a point when they are dating, getting married and just starting their family?

Despite toxic chemotherapy regimens that can mess with ovarian function, it is possible – and safe – for many women to conceive after breast cancer treatment, U-M specialists say.

Disparities in breast cancer treatment

Black women, women with less education, women with lower household incomes and obese women may be receiving inferior breast cancer care. A series of studies have shown black women and women with less education are more likely to receive a nonstandard form of chemotherapy to treat their breast cancer. In addition, patients with a lower household income and less education are more likely to receive reduced doses of chemotherapy, as are severely obese women compared to lean women. Doctors calculate chemotherapy doses for each patient based on her height and weight.

"These study results suggest systemic differences in care stemming from factors that have nothing to do with the patient's cancer. Given other disparities in quality of care and persistent outcome disparities in breast cancer among black women and women of lower socioeconomic status, our studies suggest the need to identify opportunities to address and eliminate these disparities," says lead study author Jennifer Griggs, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a breast cancer specialist at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center.

'Every day I'm killing cancer'

Heather Jose was 26 when she was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. Told by her doctor to "get her affairs in order," Jose promptly found a new doctor at U-M, one who was willing to help her fight. That was eight years ago. Today, Jose, 34, works to bring a message of empowerment and hope to other women with breast cancer while helping their doctors and nurses understand how important it is to engage their patients.