News

When Julia Bennett began experiencing shoulder pain in April 2018, the 37-year-old never imagined it would lead to a life-threatening diagnosis.

“I started having pain and numbness in my shoulder that would go down my arm,” Bennett said. “I wasn’t sure where it was coming from.”

Bennett saw doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists to try to find the cause of her pain and still had no answers.

Do you know what your thyroid is, the symptoms of thyroid cancer and what to do if you believe you are at risk? 

Located in the base of the neck, the butterfly-shaped gland produces hormones that help regulate your metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. 

Thyroid cancer occurs when cancer cells form in the tissues of the thyroid gland, threatening your thyroid’s ability to help your body function properly. According to the American Cancer Society, women are three times more likely to develop thyroid cancer than men.

Every 2.3 minutes someone is diagnosed with lung cancer, the second most common cancer among both men and women in the United States.

BSA Harrington Cancer Center offers a low-dose Cat Scan (CT) as a recommended screening for those at high-risk for developing lung cancer.

The low-dose CT scan is recommended for people who have a history of heavy smoking, are current or former cigarette smokers who have quit within the last 15 years or are between 55 and 74 years old.

Mammograms become routine beginning at age 40 for most women, but Michelle Parsons of Amarillo had a good reason to start sooner.

“I'm adopted so I didn't know a lot about my family history,” shared Parsons. “At the age of 38, I requested a baseline mammogram.”

Eleanor Sitton is a wife, mother and grandmother seven times over. She keeps busy with her family and volunteering but still makes time to go to her annual mammogram appointment at BSA Harrington Breast Center. This year’s exam would change Sitton’s life forever.

Abnormal images on her mammogram exam led to a diagnosis of breast cancer on June 26.

Sometimes making check-up appointments and getting blood drawn doesn’t feel all that important with the hustle and bustle of life. Cancer screenings get pushed to the next year or worse, are forgotten entirely. However, getting screenings is one of the most essential things both men and women can do for their health because the sooner you have all the information, the better.

Check the lists below to see which cancer screenings should be done at which time of life and when you should discuss with your physician so you can be proactive about your health.

In the United States, one in every 22 men will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. After a routine colonoscopy ordered by his primary care physician, Michael Smith, 56, discovered that he was the one in 22.

“My primary care doctor knew I was anemic and set up a colonoscopy at BSA,” Smith shared.

Following his colonoscopy, Smith received the news that he had a cancerous, 5-inch tumor in his rectum that was growing through his rectal wall. Smith was diagnosed with Stage 3 rectal cancer.

What began as chest cold symptoms, quickly turned into a diagnosis of lung cancer for Janine Mallet. Mallet, while on vacation with her husband in September of 2018, experienced severe wheezing and coughing which led her to seek treatment after returning home.

Mallett visited BSA Urgent Care Center thinking she needed an antibiotic. The physician requested that she have a chest X-Ray done.

Following a standard mammogram, women typically receive a letter in the mail informing them of their normal results. Michelle Fithen, 44, found it odd when she didn’t receive the familiar notice in the mail after her mammogram in early 2018.

“I have been getting mammograms since age 40,” Fithen explained. “I was thinking I would get my letter in the mail and on March 5, 2018, they called me to come in for a more detailed mammogram at BSA Harrington Breast Center.”

Katherine “Kathy” Berry is maintaining a positive outlook in the midst of her own battle with breast cancer – and has the selfies to prove it.

The 72-year-old never imagined she would ever be receiving care at BSA Harrington Cancer Center.

“I have never considered getting cancer and I’m a retired hospice nurse,” Berry shared.

Over the years, Berry had accompanied patients to BSA Harrington Cancer Center and worked alongside its staff.

“I’m not used to receiving care.,” Berry said. “I’m used to being a caregiver.”