Routine mammogram leads to early diagnosis

When KC Atchinson shared an update through Facebook in April 2022, she’d just received news that no one is ever quite ready to hear.

KC Atchinson

“This is your friendly reminder to get those regular health screenings, my loves. Found out yesterday I have breast cancer. It’s stage 1, very treatable, so nothing to worry too much about, but thankful that LMH kept nagging me about that mammogram I was a few months overdue for.”

Atchinson had undergone prior mammograms at LMH Health without too much fanfare. Following her December 2020 mammogram, she was called back in for additional imaging. That revealed nothing more than a cyst, so she was advised to return in one year for another routine mammogram.

Working as the director of the Office of Equity and Title IX at the University of Missouri Kansas City and a single mom, Atchinson maintains both a busy work and home life. When it came time to schedule her next mammogram, she put it off for a while.

“It seems like an excuse, but I’m busy and forgetful about making regular appointments,” she said. “I’d received a couple of reminder letters from LMH, which I’m grateful for. One was on my fridge for quite a while to help jog my memory to make the appointment.”

Atchinson scheduled her mammogram for Tuesday, April 19 at the LMH Health Women’s Center. Nothing was amiss during the appointment but a couple of hours afterward, she received a call that the team wanted to get some more images. Expecting to have a cyst as with her previous exam, she didn’t think much of it and scheduled the appointment for Thursday – just two days later.

“After the imaging, they said they wanted to send me for a sonogram and I started to wonder what was going on,” she shared. “I was told the radiologist would look at the scan to let me know what they found and that I’d talk with the breast surgeon. That didn’t sound good at all.”

James Werner, MD, a radiologist who works with the LMH Health Women’s Center, came in to talk with Atchinson. He told her they wanted to schedule a biopsy and the team happened to have an opening that day. She knew the less time she had to think about what was going on, the better.

“I was so appreciative of Dr. Werner. He was absolutely awesome,” she said. “I’d brought my 19-year-old daughter with me to the appointment. He was making jokes trying to make her feel comfortable and that helped me as well.”

The biopsy was completed on a Thursday and Atchinson was told her results would be back the following Monday or Tuesday. She didn’t expect a call the next afternoon from Jennifer Hawasli, MD, a surgeon with Lawrence Breast Specialists. The pathology notes were in. They showed carcinoma.

The follow-up

Atchinson had early-stage breast cancer, so her team recommended that she undergo an Oncotype DX test, which predicts how likely the breast cancer will return. It analyzes a sample of the cancerous tissue removed during the biopsy to help determine if you’ll benefit from chemotherapy in addition to hormone therapy. The results help your care team create the right treatment plan for you.

“My team learned that my score was very low, which was a really good number to see,” Atchinson said. “Dr. (Sherri) Soule explained that a number that low says to the oncologist that the chance the cancer would return is low and that the patient doesn’t need chemotherapy. The benefit would be minuscule.”

Instead of undergoing chemo or radiation, Atchinson was prescribed tamoxifen. This selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) works by blocking the effects of estrogen on hormone receptor-positive breast cancer cells.

“Tamoxifen is a pill I take at home each day. I’ll be on it for five years to reduce my estrogen. So far, hot flashes are the only side effect I’m having from the treatment, and I’m getting used to them,” she explained.

Surgery follows

Even though the chance of the cancer recurring was small, Atchinson didn’t want to take any chances. She opted to undergo a double mastectomy and on June 16, she had both breasts surgically removed by Dr. Hawasli, the breast surgeon at Lawrence Breast Specialists. She also underwent the initial phase of reconstruction with John Keller, MD, a surgeon at Plastic Surgery Specialists of Lawrence.

“While some patients are able to go home the same day, most stay overnight following a double mastectomy,” he said. “KC’s surgery went well. We kept her for a couple of nights before discharging her home.”

Dr. Keller also shared that while the chances that an infection will develop are low, it is a risk following reconstructive surgery. To reduce that risk, every patient who has this type of surgery performed by Plastic Surgery Specialists of Lawrence is put on a course of antibiotics until drains are removed, which usually takes about two weeks, to help prevent infection from occurring.

The surgery went well, though it wasn’t without normal post-operative pain. Atchinson was able to contact the clinic for help any time, day or night, when she had concerns about what she was experiencing.

“During my recovery, I called the clinic and Dr. (Scarlett) Aldrich was on call and available to answer my questions,” Atchinson said. “She was amazing and told me to text her with questions, photos or anything I needed.”

Atchinson undertook the next phase of reconstruction in late 2022, and Dr. Keller didn’t anticipate any issues with the procedure. Her prognosis is excellent, with less than a 1% chance of cancer recurring in the breast.

“If I could do anything for future people who will be in my position, I’d tell them to make sure to check in on their mental health and wellbeing. It’s a stressful process,” she said. “Dr. Aldrich was amazing about that, checking in with me to see how I was doing.”

Overall, Atchinson is doing well and returning to her day-to-day life without any post-surgical restrictions. She has emerged with a clear direction about how her treatment will continue to progress and advice about the importance of seeking care.

“Don’t put off your mammogram. Get your regular health screenings,” she said. “I’m busy and forgetful about making regular appointments. This one saved my life.”