THE OBSTACLES OF GETTING A “RARE” NEW CANCER (Part 1)
By: Jennifer Cook (BIA-ALCL Survivor) Published/Edited by: Carmen Regallo-Dewitt / Lennard Gettz -Awareness for a Cure writing team By now, most people are aware of cancers like lung, breast, prostate etc. –enough to know how to research about it. But a cancer related to breast implants is something that unless you happen to be watching the news recently, you may be completely in the dark about it. Furthermore, many doctors are still not providing the right conclusion about implant-associated disorders, deeming implants to NOT cause cancer. In August of 2017, I was diagnosed with Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) and I immediately went on the internet looking for more information. I was aware of the disease prior to joining, but it was Jamie Cook who put me in touch immediately with a doctor at MD Anderson. Within hours, someone called me with information on this disease and basically helped me make sure that I got the right treatment for it. For me