Self-exam saves life of 34-year-old woman battling breast cancer

Statistics show, around one in eight women are at risk of developing breast cancer throughout their lifetime.

News 12 Staff

Oct 29, 2020, 12:17 PM

Updated 1,442 days ago

Share:

Statistics show, around one in eight women are at risk of developing breast cancer throughout their lifetime.
For many women, a self-exam could be the key to saving your own life.
“I even remember getting my port place and the doctors were saying to me because you took a shower that day, you saved your own life,”says Lauren Lenz.
Lenz saved her life at the age of 34 when she found a lump the size of a marble.
“That was shocking, I did not feel I was sick. All I had was a lump, they told me I had the hormone positive breast cancer that it was a grade 2,”says Lenz.
After a lumpectomy and further research, it turned out to be a grade three, which means it was aggressive, so she needed to be aggressive with chemotherapy and radiation.
"Because I had two small kids at home and I had a 2-year-old at the time and I had a 4-year-old at the time and I wanted to give that little extra insurance," says Lenz.
She says her family was there by her side every step of the way through this fight leading to her next journey.
“Now I am on 5 to 10 years of hormone therapy," says Lenz. "If you got friends or family who are going through cancer treatment, obviously spoil them, but spoil the caretaker they need it too, they are struggling."
Lenz also advised people to be proactive with their self-exams.
"The other thing I remember through my journey is, feel it on the first,”says Lenz.