Janet and Rick Stanfield on going through breast cancer together

During their 32 years of marriage Rick and Janet Stanfield have plenty of life adventures to share, but never did they think breast cancer would be one of them. They both were diagnosed within a few months of each other. While Janet was undergoing treatment, Rick learned he had Stage 3 breast cancer. It wasn’t easy, they both admit, but through support and love, they are on the road to recovery. To hear their story, listen to The Breast of Everything podcast, hosted by Comprehensive Breast Care Surgeon Linsey Gold, DO, FACOS, FACS

Transcript

00:01

Welcome to the breast of everything podcast your trusted resource for breast health information support and encouragement. Your host today is Dr. Lindsay gold of comprehensive breast care. Welcome.

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Welcome to the breast of everything podcast. I'm your host tonight, Dr. Lindsay gold of comprehensive breast care. I am very happy to introduce our wonderful guests today, Rick and Janet Stanfield, Rick and Janet Stanfield worth shared their story about going through breast cancer together as patients as well as husband and wife. In December 2018, Janet was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma insight to the earliest form of breast cancer. One we actually consider a pre cancer while she was undergoing treatment, her husband, Rick learned that he had stage three breast cancer. Let's hear their story. Welcome to Rick and Janet. Hello. Hi there. How are you guys doing? We're doing okay. Thank you so much for coming on with us and discussing your story. Very unique, of course, just the close proximity of time in which you were both diagnosed, the fact that you guys share all of the same health care providers have very unique experience. Have you, you know, to friends and family have you? Do you tell your story? And what are people's reactions? Well, I've told many of my friends, and most of them find it very unbelievable that we're going through similar situations at the same time just isn't something that you hear of often. No, I mean, I've been doing this for quite some time. And this is, of course, the first instance of this that I've had, but it's wonderful. So your stories are similar, but different now, Janet, you and I met first. Right, right. You had an abnormal screening mammogram. And we diagnosed what we call stage zero, right. ductal carcinoma inside to right. And we talked about genetic testing, you remember? Yes, I do. And do you remember why we talked about genetic testing? There have been several members of my father's family that have had cancer, his mother and his three sisters, some of which were breast cancer, not all of them. So something that I was aware of, but didn't really seem too concerned with most of my doctors before, never seemed to concerned with. Right, right. And it's our job to be concerned, of course. So, you know, myself and my partners, we just in general, believe in Universal genetic testing for all people, but specifically those diagnosed with any type of cancer. So even regardless of family history, we do offer to everybody, but when there's a family history, that suspicious, of course, you know, we're a little bit more

03:12

pressing about it, or emphatic. But

03:15

what you say, Janet, you know, it came through your dad's side of the family. And that, in itself is something that a lot of people sort of Miss in their own histories. Oh, it's my dad's side, you know, so therefore, it can't be a big deal. Right? Everybody thinks it can only come through mom's side. But of course, that's not true. Right. Right. I learned I did not know this. And I learned through you that men can carry the gene. Correct. And they themselves have an elevated risk for breast cancer. Okay, so we we then find out that you have the BRCA one mutation. Right, right. And we talked about options for treatment at the time, correct? Yes. So you had a lot of options from the least right invasive to the most invasive surgically, roaches are really big decision, right people to make. Right. And how did you come to your conclusion? Well, I know we talked first of lobectomy, and I prepared myself for that.

04:26

We did not know about the genetic testing results until after that was scheduled.

04:32

When that came about that we did learn that I did have the gene mutation. It came as a shock. I have to say, I don't think I was really prepared and ready to think through it at that point. Sure. I'm partially I thought at that point, I was 64. I figured while I went

05:00

64 years without being diagnosed with breast cancer, and this is the very early form of breast cancer. So, in my mind, I wasn't really ready to go to anything more extreme. And I guess I was taking the chance that, you know, this is just the first cancer and let's see if it ever comes back. Hopefully it doesn't.

05:27

And it didn't. And fortunately, we talked about putting you in a, you know, high risk surveillance program. Right, watching you closely alternating mammograms and MRIs. Yes. Right. And so, thank goodness, we didn't, you know, just let you go off into the sunset. And, you know, not come back and follow up, because otherwise, we probably would not have found the next cancer as quickly. Right, right. Had it not been for the routine six month MRI that I scheduled in May of last year 2020 during the pandemic, which are very easily I could have put off because of the pandemic. But since I was very diligent about making sure I did do my testing, yes, they found something that looks suspicious. And obviously, after we had a closer look at everything, again, we found more aggressive form of

06:34

cancer at that point.

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Right. So this time was an invasive cancer in fearly. For the listeners, you know, for fairly classic for a BRCA one mutation carrier, it was what we call a triple negative tumor. And in general, for healthy people, we treat triple negative tumors, in addition to surgery, with systemic chemotherapy, right? Correct. So I'm sure I do not as a surgeon enjoy breaking the news to people that they're going to require chemotherapy, but it's part and parcel of what I do. But what was that like for you to hear that we're going to need to, we're going to need to go there now. Well, I think in a sense, I was a bit more prepared at that point, you know, it's been 18 months, I had time to kind of process being you know, having the the genetic mutation

07:34

really had more time to research.

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And, in fact, I found out one of my first cousins also has the same mutation.

07:44

So I was able to really, you know, process it a little bit easier. Certainly, chemo didn't come as a wonderful news. Right. But we, you know, you really had referred me to a wonderful oncologist last time, the first time Yes, yes. And so this time, it was very simple to go and talk with her again. And, and she really helped explain the reasoning behind the chemotherapy.

08:16

And surgically speaking, right, why it didn't take much convincing, if you will, this second time to say, Okay, I think the handwriting's on the wall, correct. We should, you know, approach this a little bit more aggressively. And you were okay with that? Yes, I, at the time, I kind of made up my mind, even before I had the results of the biopsy that if it came that cancer was there, I was pretty well made up my mind. And it took no convincing from you at all. I was ready, right?

08:53

Yep. Yeah. Yeah, God works in mysterious ways like that. And it did work out well. So Rick, we're not ignoring you. But it's just point.

09:04

At this point in the journey, you really, you are the spouse of

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you know, the quote unquote, breast cancer patient, right, supporting her through a bilateral nipple sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, followed by chemotherapy. So that in itself is a role. Right? I don't know if you want to say a little bit about what that was like for you. Well, I mean, I've been through cancer twice before cancer, prostate cancer, up at the correct Oh, cancer, I had chemo and radiation. So I know, I knew I could support it really not by telling her how I felt through all what I went through. But mostly what I would do is we went through her experiences together and as we as we work together through all of her emotions and stuff, it helped out it helped me out quite a bit. Obviously, I support her emotion.

10:00

But I also took over the household engineering portion like mopping and laundry and cooking and cleaning. And

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but that's super helpful. Yes, the deal. I mean, yeah, it had to get done. And so I had no problem doing it, you know, and so it's true. And yes for it. I mean, not fortunately, you had previous cancer, but way back in the early 90s, right, you had my colorectal cancer and have been doing great for that. And then sort of a low grade prostate, you know, a number of years later, 2008 was that I believe, yeah. So it's another one, you know, three.

10:43

Right, exactly. So then basically, timing wise, where were you guys? exactly when your situations overlapped? Do you remember? Oh, yes.

10:58

Um, I was going through chemo. Um, and I'll let Rick explained how he discovered his cancer. Oh, you only do that now? Sure. Okay. Well, it was I was feeling fine. I noticed that there was a spot underneath my left armpit there that had developed and it grew. And it looked kind of like a birthmark. It was a skin lesion, right. It's like a but yeah, in the skin.

11:28

It stopped growing. And so since I have psoriasis and eczema, I really didn't pay much attention to it. It was there. I didn't feel bad or anything of that nature.

11:40

But I eventually saw that, you know, I better get it checked out because it started having a different texture to it.

11:47

Okay, well, we'll have this I went to my dermatologist and had him check it out, as you know, with my ongoing eczema and psoriasis, he eventually, after a few weeks, he eventually decided to shave it and send it into the lab for testing. And it came to add no carcinoma. So right. Yeah, I've contacted you.

12:08

Okay. And yeah, jagtap. And so yeah, everything was like built in who to call, you didn't have to worry about anything, everything was right there. So we want to know where it was coming from, because it may was just coming from a skin, or was it just coming who was ever originating from somewhere else inside my body, then thread number, AMS, a mammogram, the MRI, the PET scan, and so on, it will see the B breast cancer. Yeah, and your your situation is unique in that sometimes things present. And even with a decent tissue sample, the pathologist is not always able to give us a you know, a 100% diagnosis. This is where it came from. This is where it started just by the tools they have in in their lab in their armamentarium. So we sent your sample for a special test called cancer type ID. Right. And that essentially confirmed based on you know, molecular testing that yes, in fact, it was, you know, more than 90% likely This was breast in origin. Right. And then we went searching

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for where exactly was this coming from? Yes. Right.

13:24

Yes. So, so your situations, you know, really were overlapping. Janet's doing the hardest part of her treatment, you know, mentally, mentally and physically. And you're beginning Oh, gosh, not a third time. Well, type of scenario, drone. Third time, we'll see what happens. Right. So then, you and I did, we did a different surgery, right? Because we didn't really find anything in your breast per se. It was more like a mass in the armpit and in the lymph node, right. So we went and took out the skin lesion as well as the lymph nodes, right, there was, I think, 18 lymph nodes and the main were, were cancerous. Right. So then we said, Oh, okay, well, we see what's going on here. Made sure nothing else was elsewhere. And then I think Janet, you had you were just finishing your chemotherapy when he was starting. Is that how it worked? Well, he we had to schedule his surgery. I was doing four rounds of chemo three weeks apart. So we had to schedule his surgery is actually between the third and fourth round. It was the week before my fourth round because that was the week I know I'd feel okay. But we scheduled it for that which was October, and then I finished my chemo the very end of October. And then he started his chemo.

15:00

Right after Thanksgiving, so the end of November, so I had a month to recuperate to, you know, kind of build up my strength before he started his chemo. Mm hmm. Yeah. And, you know, I mean, you both know now it, it's, it's not like you get your last dose of chemo and you know, three weeks later, you're, you're back to your pre chemo self. No, huh. But not at all in this sense, because I had to know, be the caregiver and I had to take over all of the household chores. Now again, and the fact that we have a dog, and Rick was up to taking the dog out. So sure, I got out almost every day to walk the dog. Even though it wasn't a very long walk, it was to get outside fresh air, and the walking in the things I knew I had to do to push myself. I think I recuperated faster, because I did push myself. Yeah. And it's so important that you said that, because that's actually what all of the data in our medical literature says. It sounds when you're describing it to patients, you know, it sounds

16:19

like you can hear yourself saying and it's it just sounds silly. Like we know, you're tired. We know, you feel like crap, you're beaten down, but you know, get out there and exercise. Get out there and,

16:31

and walk and do But truly, you know, paper after paper after paper that's ever been published literally says exactly that. If somehow you can mentally and physically push yourself there. You do in the in the end actually feel better more quickly. Right. Yeah, it did seem to help. And and I've said this more than once that know, in a sense that it was good for me to make myself do those things, even though I didn't necessarily feel like it.

17:02

Right. Now, Rick, since you this was technically your third primary cancer. We did genetic testing on you as well. Correct? Yes. Right. Yeah. But yours was negative. Right. We didn't find any genetic abnormalities. No, you did not. Yeah. So which is good. Neither here nor there, but good information to have.

17:23

So that we know, you know, going forward.

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And you probably just finished all of your treatment. Right. Right. I just finished my radiation.

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I'm over with. I'm done with that. Which is, you know, yeah.

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Yes. Yeah. Now you're on the upswing? Yep. But in the Yeah, in the recuperation phase. So and of course, Janet, you also had your ovaries removed. I did that. That was in 2019. your suggestion, obviously, since in the braco, one, specifically, I had a high risk of ovarian cancer.

18:06

And again, being in my 60s, it wasn't a big deal to go ahead and do that.

18:13

Now, as a male read, was it weird or difficult for you to say, Hey, I'm being treated for breast cancer? Because, you know, a lot of times people are like, what? Yeah, no, man. I said I had chest cancer. Okay, chest, that breast, but that okay, yo, well, that works. Yeah. I've told a few people initially, I didn't even want people to know that I sure any cancer, I mean, I just did feel that Well, fortunately, or unfortunately, we, everybody was wearing a mask and through my chemo, I lost my beard here. So wearing the mask, then now that was a cover up, so to speak. Right. But eventually, you know, the family had to know but now, let me make the decision to when I should have them. Now, some of my closest friends. Eventually, I told, especially the ones that I work with periodically with me, they kind of knew. So but right No, I mean, I didn't have a problem really telling you that I had breast cancer where it was found in and so forth like that. So, right. It's, it's it's one of those 1% cancers, we say like 1% of all breast cancers occur in men, but it is an important population. Yeah. You know, that has unique you know, unique aspects to it. Stage for stage disease by disease. Actually, people, late men and women do do quite well. Both people but it is, this is definitely an interesting story to tell people. How are each of you feeling today and what do you think the rest of the year

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and the coming years are going to be like for you? I am eight months out from my chemo. And you know, I did not have to have radiation obviously since corrected the Masek dummies. I feel

20:00

pretty well. I continue to keep my walking every day as much as I can. I've been going back now to the gym two or three times a week.

20:12

I still get a little bit of shortness of breath at times. That was a big factor during chemo, and it still happens if I try to push myself too much.

20:24

But generally speaking, I feel pretty good.

20:29

I feel okay. I mean, one of the side effects from the taxall part of my chemo is neuropathy. And now my, my my feet are, you know, they're not in the best shape right now. Yeah, okay. And my fingertips, I can feel it, I can deal with that. But it is hard to walk. And it is hard to stand and things of that nature. So right, which makes it a little bit difficult to do you know, what your wife is saying to get out and exercise? And yeah, and that's so so hopefully, with some time, I will get out. But I have to take a cart where I'm going if I need it. Okay, great distances. So,

21:10

so silly question. But since you both see the same providers, do we do you know, two for one appointments? Or do you each make separate appointments? We have been doing separate appointment.

21:27

We have two.

21:30

I think it really it's based upon the timing more than anything as often we go in now. You know, he's still being followed up on closer, right? He'll, he's actually going to be starting tamoxifen. So he'll be following up on that more as well as being triple negative. Obviously, I did not have to take any kind of write blockers. So. Right, right. And Rick, for your prostate cancer, Had you ever needed to take any of the

22:02

hormone manipulation medicines? No, none of that now, though. Okay. Well, now you get to share one more thing, and maybe that's some hot flashes. So I'm looking forward? I hope you don't, but you would, I would.

22:18

I hope you don't have them all. I get them regularly. So they don't hurt. They're annoying. Yes. So knowing both of you seeing you guys both throughout this, I would say that, you know, compared to lots of people that I see, I mean, you guys were both just really had an amazing ability to stay positive. And to even if you weren't feeling upbeat, your outlook was really, you know, always take it in stride, we're going to deal with it as it comes and keep positive. How do you think you were able to maintain that, despite, you know, so much, quote, unquote, not good news coming to you? I think we each have had our moments, definitely. But, you know, I am the type of person that likes planning. So once I had the plan of what we were going to do, and how we were going to take care of this. That's what really forced me to keep going. Um, I you know, and I think we both were just Okay, let's get it done. And over with what we're gonna do this, you know, we're just very practical people. And we had each other's support through all of this. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And I should have asked this in the beginning, but how long have you guys been married? Almost 32 years? Oh, me.

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Fast.

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Oh, goodness. Oh, that's wonderful. Truly, that's an accomplishment. So yes, congratulations. That's wonderful. I mean, clearly you have a

24:00

strong marriage, which is, you know, wonderful. Being divorced myself. That is I'm very envious of that. So, so I know how hard that is. That's wonderful. Anything else? Any other messages? Any other comments or things you'd like to share with our listeners? One thing I was going to just mention again, just to compliment you and our whole team of how, how much you made it easier for us. You and Dr. Jake Tapper and colleges were very forthright and letting us know what we're going to expect what we were going through.

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It was just made it so much easier for us to deal with this.

24:46

Thank you. We try our best right we try Denver jagtap is wonderful. She is Yes she is. And I think for me, I I talked about it more than Rick I

25:00

I shared it with friends and family, I joined builder's Club, which is great, also a wonderful support group.

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Obviously, everything's been on zoom, but we someday will be able to actually meet together.

25:14

I also joined several Facebook groups dealing with breast cancer, cancer, triple negative. And it was just very informative to hear what others have gone through

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to know what to expect to what you're going to go through. I know that's not for everyone, but it was helpful for me to be able to do that. Mm hmm. That's great. That is just really great. Well, Janet, Rick, thank you so much for taking the time to join me today and for telling your story. Thank you for listening to the breast of everything podcast, I'm Dr. Lindsay gold of comprehensive breast care. As always, we want to hear from you. If you have a topic you would like us to talk about. We welcome your suggestions, you can send them to komfort breast care.com that's co mp BREAST ca r e.com. Till next time,

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you've been listening to the breast of everything podcast with your host and board certified breast surgeon, Dr. Lindsay gold of comprehensive breast care. If you have a subject you would like the surgeons to discuss, please email your suggestions online at comp breast care. com. That's compbreastcare.com the doctors want to hear from you. The views thoughts and opinions shared in this podcast are intended for general education and informational purposes only and should not be substituted for medical advice, treatment or care from your physician or healthcare provider. Always consult your healthcare provider first.