Mckinney Courier-gazette > News
Breast cancer survivor recalls her battle
WINNERS: “So far, so good,” Guthrie said.
By Jim Kilpatrick, McKinney Courier-Gazette
Carla Guthrie of McKinney was 53-years-old when her doctor diagnosed her with breast cancer on April 6, 2006.
She said she isn’t looking back, only forward.
“When you are diagnosed with cancer, from that day on, you are a survivor,” Guthrie said.
Guthrie's battle with cancer began with a biopsy after her regular mammogram showed a lump.
“The pathology report indicated the mass they removed during the biopsy was cancer and I was scheduled for a second surgery in the same site,” Guthrie said. “They removed additional tissue and tried to get all of the cancer.”
The procedure was to remove and check the sentinel lymph node to see if any of the cancer cells had migrated outside of the breast area and into the lymph system.
Following the procedure, she went through a battery of diagnostic tests to make sure she had no cancer in other parts of the body.
“All those tests were all clear,” Guthrie said.
Those tests determined her treatment program, said.
“I was referred to an oncologist at the North Texas Cancer Center and the recommendation was four rounds of chemotherapy, three weeks apart and followed by seven and a half weeks of radiation treatments,” Guthrie said. All of the treatments were completed in 2006.
Guthrie is now 56, a wife and mother. She is married to Larry, 58, and they have two sons, Matt, age 23 and Kyle, age 19.
It was a trying time for the whole family after being told of the cancer and beginning the treatment.
“We were all frightened, but I think probably Matt and Kyle were particularly so,” Mrs. Guthrie said. “They were out of the country during the time I was going through the chemotherapy.”
The family had been in Indonesia before moving to McKinney.
“If we had been in Indonesia when something like that happened, it would have been bad news,” Mr. Guthrie said.
They felt that she had the benefit of excellent doctors, and lots of good information on the internet. Even she had her own fears about what would happen.
“I did fear they might have to remove my breast,” Mrs. Guthrie said. “But when you are diagnosed, you learn from the breast surgeons that one out of eight women will get breast cancer.”
This means all women have a 12 and a half percent chance of having breast cancer, she said.
“The most recent research shows that in certain size and grades of breast cancer, doing a mastectomy does not improve a woman’s mortality,” Mrs. Guthrie said.
A patient can either have a lumpectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation or a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation and the prognosis is the same in many cases, she said.
“There is no advantage in having a mastectomy because it doesn’t improve your odds,” Mrs. Guthrie said.
“I suppose what one fears is, that in spite of all the things they do, there will still be cancer and it would reoccur,” she said. “And that is still possible.”
The first five years after treatment and diagnosis are the most critical.
“A woman who undergoes that protocol and survives for five years has her outlook very much improved,” Mrs. Guthrie said. “Her odds of having breast cancer become the same, as they were before she had breast cancer.”
During these first five years, Mrs. Guthrie sees her breast surgeon , has mammograms and sees her oncologist twice a year. She is bombarded with test each year checking for any signs of cancer.
“So far, so good,” she said.
After her first chemotherapy treatment, she was taken by a friend to the Susan G. Komen Run for the Cure in Plano. Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures.
“There were about 13,000 people in pink at the event,” she said. “I was shocked by the visual representation of how many have had the disease.”
She continues her life with a positive outlook.
“I go on about my life. I don’t think about it that often,” Guthrie said. “However, you can’t forget about it completely either.”
Contact Jim Kilpatrick at jkilpatrick@acnpapers.com.
By Jim Kilpatrick, McKinney Courier-Gazette
Carla Guthrie of McKinney was 53-years-old when her doctor diagnosed her with breast cancer on April 6, 2006.
She said she isn’t looking back, only forward.
“When you are diagnosed with cancer, from that day on, you are a survivor,” Guthrie said.
Guthrie's battle with cancer began with a biopsy after her regular mammogram showed a lump.
“The pathology report indicated the mass they removed during the biopsy was cancer and I was scheduled for a second surgery in the same site,” Guthrie said. “They removed additional tissue and tried to get all of the cancer.”
The procedure was to remove and check the sentinel lymph node to see if any of the cancer cells had migrated outside of the breast area and into the lymph system.
Following the procedure, she went through a battery of diagnostic tests to make sure she had no cancer in other parts of the body.
“All those tests were all clear,” Guthrie said.
Those tests determined her treatment program, said.
“I was referred to an oncologist at the North Texas Cancer Center and the recommendation was four rounds of chemotherapy, three weeks apart and followed by seven and a half weeks of radiation treatments,” Guthrie said. All of the treatments were completed in 2006.
Guthrie is now 56, a wife and mother. She is married to Larry, 58, and they have two sons, Matt, age 23 and Kyle, age 19.
It was a trying time for the whole family after being told of the cancer and beginning the treatment.
“We were all frightened, but I think probably Matt and Kyle were particularly so,” Mrs. Guthrie said. “They were out of the country during the time I was going through the chemotherapy.”
The family had been in Indonesia before moving to McKinney.
“If we had been in Indonesia when something like that happened, it would have been bad news,” Mr. Guthrie said.
They felt that she had the benefit of excellent doctors, and lots of good information on the internet. Even she had her own fears about what would happen.
“I did fear they might have to remove my breast,” Mrs. Guthrie said. “But when you are diagnosed, you learn from the breast surgeons that one out of eight women will get breast cancer.”
This means all women have a 12 and a half percent chance of having breast cancer, she said.
“The most recent research shows that in certain size and grades of breast cancer, doing a mastectomy does not improve a woman’s mortality,” Mrs. Guthrie said.
A patient can either have a lumpectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation or a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation and the prognosis is the same in many cases, she said.
“There is no advantage in having a mastectomy because it doesn’t improve your odds,” Mrs. Guthrie said.
“I suppose what one fears is, that in spite of all the things they do, there will still be cancer and it would reoccur,” she said. “And that is still possible.”
The first five years after treatment and diagnosis are the most critical.
“A woman who undergoes that protocol and survives for five years has her outlook very much improved,” Mrs. Guthrie said. “Her odds of having breast cancer become the same, as they were before she had breast cancer.”
During these first five years, Mrs. Guthrie sees her breast surgeon , has mammograms and sees her oncologist twice a year. She is bombarded with test each year checking for any signs of cancer.
“So far, so good,” she said.
After her first chemotherapy treatment, she was taken by a friend to the Susan G. Komen Run for the Cure in Plano. Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures.
“There were about 13,000 people in pink at the event,” she said. “I was shocked by the visual representation of how many have had the disease.”
She continues her life with a positive outlook.
“I go on about my life. I don’t think about it that often,” Guthrie said. “However, you can’t forget about it completely either.”
Contact Jim Kilpatrick at jkilpatrick@acnpapers.com.
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