Surviving Cancer

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz shares her experience to help others

By Joyce Moed, Editor

On Dec. 7, 2007,  U.S. State Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s life changed. That was the day she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I did a self-exam in the shower a few days before that,” she said. “I discovered a lump in my breast. I did breast exams regularly, and knew that something felt different.”

Following her self discovery, Wasserman Shultz said she went through numerous diagnostic tests, and was originally told that everything looked clean. A few days later she received the phone call she will never forget.

“It was pretty devastating,” she said. “When I had the biopsy, they said it showed ‘clear,’ and then a few days later I got a call. It was pretty devastating at 41 to find out I had breast cancer, and it certainly never occurred to me. I knew it was possible, but I never thought it would happen to me.”

Wasserman Schultz had two great aunts who had breast cancer, but is no breast cancer in her immediate family.

“There’s a lot of cancer, but not breast cancer,” she said.

It was then suggested that Wasserman Schultz have a blood test to find out if she was a carrier of one of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene alterations. Women with this alteration are at higher risk for developing breast and ovarian cancers than a woman without an alteration.

“Originally the course of treatment before I had the blood test was I was going to have a lumpectomy and radiation,” she said. “But after the blood test it was positive, my likelihood of having a recurrence was more likely. So I had a double mastectomy. So as a result I didn’t need radiation.” In addition, she learned that being Ashkenazi Jew put her at even a higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

In 2008, Wasserman Schultz had seven surgeries, which included a double mastectomy, reconstruction and having her ovaries removed.

“I was fortunate I had all the children we wanted to have,” she said. “I kept the whole experience close as far as who knew. I didn’t share my diagnoses until I was through with a whole year of treatment. It was difficult physically. I worked full time and didn’t miss any votes. It was a juggling act.”

Wasserman Shultz always knew she would share my experience publicly.

“But I wanted to wait.,” she said. “My children were 5 and 8 when I was diagnosed. Anyone they knew who had cancer died. I knew I was going to be OK. So I wanted to share it with them after I was through with my treatment. I didn’t really want to become in the press as ‘Debbie Wasserman Schultz: breast cancer.’ That would define me. I wanted to use my experience to help others.”
When Wasserman Schultz did share her story, she did it in conjunction with she did it in conjunction with the EARLY Act (the Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act), which she introduced in March of 2009. The bill passed as part of the Protection and Affordable Care Act in March of 2010. This legislation directs the Centers for Disease Control to develop and implement a national education campaign about the threat breast cancer posts to young women of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds. It also helps educate young women and enables healthcare professionals to identify the specific threats and warning signs of breast cancer. The EARLY Act also provides grants to organizations that support young women diagnoses with breast cancer in order to receive the assistance they need including social and psychological support, fertility preservation counseling, and recurrence prevention training.

“What happens is that young women are usually diagnosed at a much later stage,” Wasserman Schultz said. “Younger people are less likely to be insured, or they think it’s just a cyst. We introduced legislation geared toward women ages 16 to 45 that also targets educating health professionals to not be dismissive of younger women.”

There are unique challenges to younger women with breast and/or ovarian cancer, Wasserman Schultz said, such as fertility issues and dating­–“different challenges from women in their 50s, 60s and 70s don’t have to deal with.”

Wasserman Schultz said she received overwhelming support for the bills, including the entire leadership on both sides of the House of Representatives.
When Wasserman Schultz came out and told her breast cancer story, she said she received tremendous support. And the support she had from her immediate family during her diagnosis and surgeries was also tremendous.

“My husband is amazing,” she said. “We needed to make sure he was home with the kids. They knew I had surgery. They knew I had something going on with my breast but they didn’t know what it was. I talked to them about it just before I went publicly, and that was hard. I did a lot of research about talking to my kids about cancer. My older daughter, Rebecca, asked me, ‘Mom, am I going to get cancer?’ I told her it was something she wouldn’t have to worry about for a long time, and I would teach her.”

People who didn’t know Wasserman Schultz was battling cancer were surprised to learn about it.
“People saw me on TV a lot, doing high-profile things,” she said. “It definitely surprised people. I wanted to just make sure my life was normal as possible and my children’s’ lives were normal.”
Because Wasserman Schultz took a very significant step with a double mastectomy and removing her ovaries, she doesn’t need any follow up care.

“I have less of a chance of having a recurrence in breast cancer than the average woman,” she said.

Through this process, Wasserman Schultz said she learned that early detection is the key to surviving.

“It’s important to make sure women are aware of their breast health,” she said. “If there are changes in redness, puss, scaliness or itchiness, get it checked out. Don’t wait. Pay attention to your breast health as soon as your have breasts. You don’t need to be obsessive about it. Make sure you do self exams and know what is normal for you so you can see when something is different.”

Today, women approach Wasserman Schultz often.