As she was getting ready for bed one evening, Lynda Skillom, 55, noticed a lump on her left breast. After losing a mother to ovarian cancer and having two sisters with breast cancer, Lynda feared the worst and phoned her primary care physician the next morning.
Lynda’s physician arranged for her to be seen at the Loyola Center for Health on Roosevelt. During the evaluation, the physician identified the lump and referred her to the breast specialists at the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, where she underwent a biopsy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Later that week, Lynda’s breast care specialist confirmed the news she had been dreading. Lynda had an aggressive form of breast cancer in both her left and right breasts. She coped with the news by communicating regularly with her two sisters.
“My sisters were no strangers to the disease,” said Lynda. “They were able to comfort and encourage me throughout my own battle with cancer.”
Lynda also turned to a nationally recognized team of Loyola specialists who included a radiation oncologist, a chemotherapy oncologist and a breast surgeon. They ran a battery of blood tests, ultrasounds and full-body imaging before evaluating her case and creating an individualized treatment plan to eradicate the cancer.
Her treatment regimen included lumpectomies followed by eight courses of chemotherapy every two weeks.
“I found a genuine support system in the other Loyola patients who underwent chemotherapy with me,” Lynda said. “We formed a community that helped us persevere in the face of uncertainty and intimidating odds.”
Given Lynda’s family history, her physicians recommended that she undergo genetic testing. These results revealed that she carried the BRCA2 gene, which predisposed her to breast cancer and made her susceptible for a recurrence.
She soon learned that a double mastectomy would be her best option for a positive long-term prognosis. While Lynda cringed at the thought of losing her breasts, she knew that this might add years to her life and give her more time with her loved ones. Lynda moved forward with the double mastectomy and was encouraged with her decision to do so when she learned that cancer remained in the tissue that had been removed.
In the midst of her own bout with cancer, Lynda’s 29-year-old son, Cedric, underwent testing for the BRCA2 genetic mutation. His test results revealed that he also was a carrier who had begun to develop precancerous tissue in his chest. This young father of two now faced a double mastectomy of his own.
“Most men don’t fear that this disease will impact their own bodies,” Lynda said. “However, given our family history, my son fortunately knew enough to get screened and treated early.”
Today, Lynda and her son are cancer-free. She continues to see her Loyola physicians, and she will undergo the final phases of her reconstructive surgery at Loyola.
“The physicians, nurses and staff at Loyola could not have treated me better,” said Lynda. “They taught me the importance of making your health a priority. I now encourage other women to do the same.”
For more information or to make an appointment, please call (888) LUHS-888 and ask for the CAN-HELP cancer information service.
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM
