State Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward reveals breast cancer diagnosis
May 12—State Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, revealed Tuesday that she has undergone treatment for stage-one breast cancer for several months and soon will undergo surgery with the hopes of preventing the disease from returning.
Ward said she learned of the diagnosis in December, weeks after she won reelection and made history as the first woman to serve as Senate majority leader in Pennsylvania.
"My regular screening was late because it would've been right when (the covid pandemic) started," Ward told the Trib. "It hasn't been late for 36 years, but that's how they caught it."
Ward said she has been receiving treatment over the past several months and plans to undergo a mastectomy and reconstruction.
"My immediate response was: I have to get this thing out of here," Ward said of the small mass, which doctors told her was likely in existence for three to five years before it was detected.
Ward underwent a lumpectomy, she said, and also discovered she tested positive for what is called the BRCA gene, a DNA analysis test that identifies harmful mutations in one of two breast-cancer susceptibility genes, called BRCA1 and BRCA2, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The gene mutation can lead to recurring instances of cancer.
A typical breast cancer screening does not include an ultrasound. However, Ward said that she and many other women have a significant amount of fibrous breast tissue, and because of that, she was able to receive an ultrasound without having to foot the typically sizable bill.
"If you have fibrous breasts, you are entitled to an ultrasound," Ward said. "And insurance has to pay for it — we passed that bill in 2013."
That knowledge is just part of what Ward said women need to know when it comes to breast cancer awareness.
"Learn everything you can," she said. "And talk to people who've been through it. I had a friend in Hempfield who went through this last year, and you'd be shocked at how many other women have."
Ward did not provide a timeline for her treatment plans but said she'd like to use her experience and leadership position in the General Assembly to help others.
"I'm going to use this platform that I'm so honored to have to reach out and make sure that I do everything I can to make other women aware of what's available, what they're entitled to, and help however I can," she said.
Breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer among women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pennsylvania is one of 12 states with the highest rates of breast cancer.
Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick at 724-850-2862, pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .
