CALEDONIA, Mich. — October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and FOX 17 spoke to a woman currently fighting it.
Eighty-five percent of the time, what's called "ductal" breast cancer occurs.
The rest of the time, the cancer is typically known as what's called "lobular cancer."
It grows very differently, and can look and feel different too.
“I would wake up every morning and realize I wasn’t living in a bad dream. It was pretty devastating. I’m a salon owner. I have two young sons. It was... this isn’t supposed to happen to someone who is in their early 40s. This isn’t supposed to happen. But it did. I’m fighting it head-on. I’m doing it for my kids. I want them to look back and see how strong I am and realize that,” Kate Peterson said.
Kate is a mother and wife diagnosed with Stage 3 lobular breast cancer.
“I was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer the day after my 44th birthday,” Peterson said.
Kate's had a mastectomy, and has had lymph nodes removed.
“Now I’m in chemo,” Peterson said.
Lobular breast cancer is less common, but still prevalent. FOX 17 spoke with the surgeon who treated Kate.
“Sometimes those lobular cancers grow in a different pattern than ductal cancers. They microscopically form little chains, instead of clumps,” Dr. Jamie Caughran with Trinity Health said.
Lobular cancer grows in what looks like spider webs, Dr. Jamie Caughran explained.
“Please get your mammograms,” Peterson said.
Kate noticed what looked like a ridge in her breast eight days after her mammogram, which she says came back clear. Dr. Caughran says this is a rare occurrence. She stressed the importance of self-exams and knowing what your normal is.
“Most breast cancers of both types show up on mammograms. Mammograms are a very good test. They’re not a perfect test,” Dr. Caughran said.
If you notice something abnormal, the first thing you should do is call your doctor. They can order additional testing. Kate says she has been telling her friends to do exams while bending forward to see if you notice anything strange.
But Kate's main driving force is her family, specifically her two sons.
“They’re going to go through something hard. And I want them to look back and say 'I’m not going to lay in bed and cry about this. I’m going to get up and I’m going to fight and I’m going to get through it,'” Peterson said.
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