Story Created:
Oct 30, 2008 at 6:46 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Mar 16, 2009 at 2:36 PM CDT
Thursday, October 30, 2008; Posted: 6:45 p.m. (CDT)
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is coming to a close. KSBI-TV's Kealey McIntire introduces us to a family who has every reason to advocate for awareness of the disease year-round. Breast cancer has affected multiple generations of this family and they wanted to share their stories.
They say knowledge is power, but it's also the key to survival for the women of one Edmond family.
"I think our whole family's thought is not if we're going to get breast cancer, it's when we're going to get it," says Pat Keeney.
Keeney has seen breast cancer affect eight blood relatives: her grandmother, mother, two sisters, her daughter, niece and two cousins.
"Everybody just kind of wonders when is my turn because it hasn't missed anybody yet," says Keeney.
The American Cancer Society says having a mother, sister or daughter with breast cancer about doubles a woman's risk. As expected, Keeney was diagnosed at age 26 and again at 32.
Because of the family's history, Keeney's daughter, Sherri Powell, knew she too would likely face breast cancer.
"I was always aware of it, I always knew that I was at high risk," says Powell.
Sherri turned to the Cancer Center at OU Health Sciences Center where she was diligent about getting screenings. Her mammogram and ultrasound said she was fine, but the anxiety wouldn't let up. An MRI confirmed her fears at 35-years-old.
"When we did the MRI, I did have breast cancer that didn't show up on the mammogram or ultrasound because it was so far back, it was really deep," says Powell.
Sherri had an aggressive type of cancer. Without knowing her family's history, the tight bond she shares with her mother and daughter may have been broken.
"My grandmother died at 36 and my great-grandmother died at 26 so I knew that it hit our family young and pretty hard," says Powell.
Powell has shared the family's history with her daughter, Deven, 17. Deven says watching her mother go through cancer was tough, but it's even harder for her to consider she too could face the disease.
"It puts a lot of anxiety on my future plans because I have to think about what I want to do and I feel like I'm on a bit of a time schedule," says Deven.
For generations of women in their family, knowledge has been the key to survival. It's hard living with the reality, but Deven is glad she knows so she can prepare.
"It's hard, but I think that it's better that I know that and that I know my options," says Deven.
Deven does have options. In part two of this series, we'll discuss genetic counseling and how it's already helped the family. We'll also tell you how researchers at OU Health Sciences Center are looking into the genetic link in breast cancer.
We'll bring you the second portion Thursday, November 6, on Oklahoma News Tonight.
