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DENVER — The idea that breast cancer only affects older women is a long-standing myth. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation reports 4% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States are under 40. However, they're also more likely to have aggressive forms of the disease.
Natalie Bell, of Denver, was diagnosed in mid-June of this year.
"By then the tumors were so big, I knew in my soul it was cancer," she said.
She was 38 and was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. The cancer spread to a lymph node in her left armpit.
“Family history. It checks out, but the lumps had been there for years,” Bell said.
Even though Bell had been dealing with lumps in her breasts for a long time, she said her doctor didn’t take her seriously.
“It was always downplayed as cysts, or told in addition to that, you can’t get a mammogram until you’re 40,” Bell said.
Bell finally got the diagnostic mammogram she wanted after seeing a different doctor. The medical expenses started adding up, and it didn’t help that she lost a job around at the same time. That’s where the nonprofit Polite Tumor came in, securing Bell $5,000 so she could get by.
The founder of Polite Tumor, Elissa Brown, understood Bell's position. Brown had to undergo her own breast cancer battle after she was diagnosed in December 2015, when she was 31 years old.
She then created the nonprofit.
“The reason why was because I faced a lot of unforeseen costs when I went through treatment. The biggest was fertility preservation at the time,” Brown said.
Brown wanted to help others get past that financial barrier through her nonprofit, which provides financial assistance to young adults under 40 who have been diagnosed with the disease.
“When you’re younger, you’re likely on a high deductible plan, you likely have student loans, or you just bought your first house,” Brown said.
Teri Frerichs, a nurse navigator with UCHealth in Northern Colorado, meets with breast cancer patients to bridge the gap between diagnosis and next steps. She said chemotherapy is the biggest expense for patients, however there are some hidden costs that come with treatment.
“Like wigs, acupuncture, counseling,” Frerichs said. “If you’re getting chemotherapy (you may need) cold caps to preserve hair loss, cold mitts and gloves to prevent neuropathy."
Bell wore cold mitts on her hands and feet during chemo treatments and got her head shaved before her hair started falling out. She now faces a double mastectomy surgery in the new year, before ending with radiation treatments. She said if she hadn’t trusted her instincts and sought out a second opinion, who knows where she would be right now. She stressed that is why it’s so important to advocate for yourself if you think something might be wrong.
“Knowing how to tell your doctor, 'Document this.' Knowing how to advocate for yourself more because you’re younger, like I am. It’s like you have to push even further to get home. 'No there’s something wrong with me. Can we get a diagnostic mammogram?'” Bell said.
Polite Tumor gives out grants of $5,000 to Coloradans under 40 years old regardless of income level.
On Tuesday, we reported on Denver Health Mobile Mammography Unit, which staff hopes can help catch breast cancer early. Watch that report below.
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