Dec. 7, 2021, was an action-packed day like many others for Racine resident and hospital president for Ascension All Saints Hospital, Kristin McManmon. It even included squeezing in a mammogram appointment, one year and six days since her 2020 mammogram.
“I was not particularly worried, as I do not have a strong family history, breastfed my three children, had no lumps or bumps, felt great and am a non-smoker,” McManmon said. “My life was busy with work – leading a hospital through a pandemic, raising my three children, caring for my three dogs, and other responsibilities.”
Doctors saw something unusual on her mammogram and scheduled an ultrasound for the next day. Those results led to a biopsy two days later.
Mammogram uncovers aggressive cancer
“I was shocked when I learned that a nearly 1 cm tumor was confirmed to be invasive triple-negative breast cancer and I urgently needed to start treatment,” McManmon said.
McManmon connected with her care team, which included Jerry Hardacre, MD, who helped develop a personalized treatment plan for the type of cancer she was diagnosed with.
“The treatment of breast cancer is a multidisciplinary approach with a team of doctors who prioritize personalized treatment for our patients. We worked with Kristin to develop a treatment plan together,” Dr. Hardacre said.
McManmon started weekly chemotherapy for six months, followed by surgery at Ascension All Saints Hospital. Thanks to the chemotherapy, she had a complete pathologic response (disappearance of all invasive cancer). After she finished her radiation treatment last fall, McManmon continued with immunotherapy infusions until earlier this year.
“I have prayed to find purpose in this diagnosis. If this experience was to be part of my life story, I wanted to learn from this and use it for something good,” McManmon said.
Most people diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a strong family history of it. They also often do not carry any genetic disposition for it.
“I didn’t have any pain. I didn’t have any breast health concerns. I didn’t feel a lump.”
Kristin McManmon
Triple-negative breast cancer is aggressive. It is more likely to affect younger people, African Americans, Hispanics, and those with a specific gene mutation. Unfortunately, it often grows fast, even in the time between annual mammograms. Had McManmon waited, she could have been facing a more advanced disease. Despite the size of her tumor, she could never feel it, it was only detected in imaging studies.
“When I look back on my timing, my 2021 mammogram was just about a year from my prior mammogram. And I don’t know what the outcome would have been had I waited. Nothing was on my last mammogram. I didn’t have any pain. I didn’t have any breast health concerns. I didn’t feel a lump. So it was shocking. It was surprising, but it was also a reality check about how quickly this can move,” said McManmon.
One in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Doctors recommend that every woman make her annual mammogram a priority.
Breast cancer screening guidelines
Ascension Wisconsin doctors recommend women follow these breast cancer screening guidelines:
- Women of average risk of developing breast cancer should get yearly mammograms beginning at the age of 40.
- If you have a family history of breast cancer, ask your doctor if you should have breast screening before the age of 40.
“With this experience, I’ve become an evangelist for the annual mammogram, so I encourage every woman, and I encourage every woman to tell their friends and their family, to make their health a priority and get a mammogram every year,” pleaded McManmon. “There were so many excuses I could have used to not get a mammogram. And I think how lucky I am that I picked up the phone (and) made my appointment.”
Whether you have questions about new symptoms, need a screening, or have a new cancer diagnosis and need ongoing care, you can learn more and schedule an appointment at ascension.org/WisconsinCancerCare.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to include the most up-to-date breast cancer screening guidelines.
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