CLEVELAND — Despite being less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than white women, Black women are 41% more likely to die from it, according to the American Cancer Society.
As World Mental Health Day comes and goes, one psychologist is reminding people that treating mental health is just as important as treatments like chemotherapy and radiation.
Erica Watson was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of cancer, but managed to celebrate through the good and the bad.
She said she and her family celebrate everything and that didn’t change even after she was diagnosed in February of 2023.
They celebrated after chemotherapy sessions, before and after surgery, after radiation was over, but initially she did have to take a beat. She said she was shocked.
Dr. Kathleen Ashton is a psychologist who works exclusively with breast cancer patients and saw Watson during her treatment.
“Women with untreated depression and anxiety who are diagnosed with breast cancer have poorer physical outcomes as well as mental health outcomes,” Ashton said.
According to the American Cancer Society, triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of cancer that tends to grow and spread faster and is more likely to return. It is more common in women under 40, who are Black or who have a BRCA1 mutation.
“It’s one of the cancers that patients worry more about. It has less treatments available for it — not as common as estrogen- or hormone-positive breast cancer,” Ashton said.
She said she’ll often see triple-negative patients because they have more anxiety about the cancer returning.
“It can be almost (like) PTSD. Especially the anniversary of when you were diagnosed (or) surgery. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is actually tough for a lot of breast cancer survivors,” Ashton said.
But anniversaries aren’t keeping Watson down.
“We celebrated as much as we possibly could. That was the only way we were going to be able to make it. And I made it!” Watson said.
She wants to share her experience particularly with Black women because she said she know it’s particularly important for Black woman to advocate for themselves.
“I want women to know there’s life after that journey,” Watson said.
Correction: This story previously misspelled Erica Watson’s name. This has been corrected. (Oct. 11, 2024)
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