By the age of 35, Anjali Chase was well aware of her risk for developing breast cancer after watching both her mother and aunt receive their own diagnoses, but when she asked her OB-GYN about beginning early mammograms, the response was not what she expected.
Despite her family history and guidelines for high-risk patients, the physician told her the screenings weren’t necessary. Chase’s gut instinct told her otherwise. She found a new physician.
“I think women’s intuition is a very powerful thing in a lot more ways than we think it is, so I would just say trust your judgment,” Chase said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 9 percent of all new breast-cancer cases are reported in women under the age of 45. But there are certain factors that put women at higher risk for getting breast cancer at a younger age and that includes heredity. A family history of the disease, in fact, is more likely to be linked to women who are diagnosed before age 45.
Chase’s mother received her first diagnosis in 1997 at the age of 50. She underwent surgery for a unilateral mastectomy, but cancer was found in her other breast 11 years later. At about that time, Chase’s aunt, her father’s sister, learned she had breast cancer as well.
Chase, after consulting with her new OB-GYN, began annual mammograms at age 37. Like so many women, she missed tests due to the COVID pandemic but resumed the screenings in 2021. Last May, during her most recent test, however, she noticed that something seemed wrong. The technician took a second image of her left breast, and she felt pain on that side as well.
The next day, she got a call from her doctor’s office informing her that the mammogram had found a suspicious mass. Follow-up tests were scheduled, including an ultrasound and biopsy, and by early June, she was diagnosed with stage 1-A invasive ductal carcinoma at the age of 43.
“Once I scheduled the biopsy, I just had a different mindset going into it because I was really terrified at first, but then it was like I had been anticipating it my whole life so … it was like, OK, it is what it is, let’s just go for it.”
As the diagnostic phase moved forward, it also helped her to focus on the fact that she was in good hands, from the medical team conducing the tests to the incredible science that was able to narrow down the scope and details of her cancer, she said.
The next step was to decide on a course of treatment. Chase was given a referral list of breast-cancer surgeons, and one of them was Dr. Souzan El-Eid of Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Chase called the center and was able to get an appointment for the next day.
“I think when you first get these names you’re like, ‘Oh my God, I have so many questions, and I have no idea where to start,�� and your mind is spinning. So, to be able to get into somebody that quickly that can answer those questions and tell you exactly what it is you’re going through, that was priceless to me,” she said.
Under the advice of El-Eid, Chase took a genetic test that showed she has the CHEK2 gene mutation, which only underscored her risk for developing certain cancers, including cancer in the breast. She then discussed the surgical options and follow-up treatments with El-Eid. Chase had access to a team of doctors, including a medical oncologist, plastic surgeon and radiation oncologist for consultations.
But what kept replaying over and over in her mind was her mother’s difficult, circuitous journey. A decade after the first diagnosis, Chase’s mother had to face cancer again and go through a second mastectomy.
“I think, inevitably, based on my family history, it would have come back on the other side, so there was no question in my mind,” Chase said.
Chase decided to have a double mastectomy, and the surgery took place in mid-August. As a result of the procedure, doctors discovered a second, smaller tumor and ductal carcinoma in situ, or abnormal cells that had not spread beyond the ducts but had the potential to become invasive cancer.
Chase noted she will be receiving reconstructive plastic surgery and taking a hormone blocker for a few years to reduce the risk of the cancer returning. But according to her oncologist, she does not require either radiation or chemotherapy, which “is a blessing.”
“I think I was lucky with getting annual mammograms to be able to catch it as early as I did,” she said.
In looking back at her patient’s journey, El-Eid noted that Chase is a great example of someone taking charge of her own health. While young women are less likely to develop breast cancer, she pointed out that one of her current patients is only 28.
El-Eid, who is also medical director of the Breast Care Center at Summerlin Hospital, noted that women who are not considered high risk for breast cancer should begin mammograms at age 40.
Younger, high-risk patients, however, should consult with their physicians about early screenings and the possibility of testing for genetic mutations. If someone has a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, for example, screenings begin at age 30, she said.
Also, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends that all women start breast-cancer risk assessments at age 25.
Finally, it is vital that women stay informed about breast cancer guidelines and their own health history, that they use the information to advocate for themselves and the future of their health — just as Chase did, El-Eid said.
“I think this is a wonderful thing to spread the word, the knowledge, to remind them to get their mammograms, get checked, do genetic testing if they have a family history … and if they’re young, and they feel something in the breast, don’t wait on it more than a month.”
Members of the editorial and news staff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal were not involved in the creation of this content.