Breast Cancer Awareness 'Matter of life or death': Mammogram led to Walnut Grove woman's life-saving diagnosis

Oct. 20—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — In February 2018, Janeen James was diagnosed with breast cancer, but throughout her journey she never lost her optimistic spirit.

"I've always been a positive person, so I don't think having cancer changed my perspective because I've always had a good perspective on life," said the 62-year-old resident of Johnstown's Walnut Grove section. "My cup has always been half-full. When I was diagnosed, that attitude that I already had certainly helped me through those tough times."

James felt a lump in her right breast while doing a self-examination, but kept putting off going to see a doctor. As time went on, the area became tender, and she also had some tenderness under her arm telling her that something was not right.

A mammogram done at Excela Square in Latrobe detected thick tissue, and an ultrasound and biopsy were performed. It was on her birthday, Feb. 8, that James was told she had Stage 4 breast cancer.

James underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy treatments that were administered every third week at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at John P. Murtha Pavilion in downtown Johnstown. That was followed by an additional eight weekly treatments of chemo.

Upon completion of chemotherapy, she had a lumpectomy and five lymph nodes were removed.

James then received a series of radiation treatments that she finished at the end of 2018.

"This was something the doctor felt needed to be done in addition to the chemo, even though I had the lumpectomy and it came back completely 100% cancer-free," she said. "It was more of a precautionary thing."

James had been seeing her oncologist every six months, but due to continual good reports is now able to reduce that to annual appointments along with yearly mammograms.

"My radiologist also dismissed me, so unless I need them, I'm good, because everything looks good and my journey with them is finished," she said.

Although she's a few years removed from having cancer, it's something that is on the back of her mind.

"You're always kind of thinking about it or reminded of that time in your life, but I try not to live my life with that shadow over it," she said.

James said she likes to talk to family and friends, as well as those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, to share her experience.

"I try to give them my personal perspective," she said. "There's a friend of mine who was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, and usually when you hear that it sounds like a death sentence, but I was diagnosed with Stage 4 and I'm still here. Things have changed so much over the last five and even three years in research, and so much has been learned, so you can't give up hope."

Leading up to her cancer diagnosis, James said, she didn't prioritize going to the doctor or scheduling annual checkups.

"I never had the time — I had a family, I had kids, I had work," she said.

But the former account executive at The Tribune-Democrat became more aware of breast cancer due to the newspaper's promotion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

"It made me aware of the necessity to do those things," James said. "The last time I had a mammogram was when I was in my 30s, so I went to get a mammogram, and that's what diagnosed me. Had I not, I might not be here today because I had a very aggressive breast cancer type. You need to make time for yourself because it can be a matter of life or death."

For women starting out on their cancer journey, she said it's important to find a support system to lean on.

"Talk with somebody who has experienced those things because they have good advice and know what to expect," James said. "Surround yourself with positivity because your attitude is 100% going to affect your outcome."