Mom of Two and Army Specialist, 23, Found Lump During Pregnancy But It Was Dismissed As Clogged Milk Duct, She Was Later Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

The Importance of Breast Cancer Screenings

• Army Specialist Bryce Ewing was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 23, just months after a doctor dismissed a love she discovered as a clogged milk duct. She hopes her story will inspire others to “keep pushing,” get screening for breast cancer when something feels wrong, and stay positive through adversity.
• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued new finalized recommendations this month, suggesting women with average breast cancer risk begin screening mammograms once every two years at the age of 40.
• It’s important to note that women with the BRCA gene mutation, who have a family history of cancer, or have dense breasts are at higher risk and should talk with their doctor about when to begin screening. It may be younger than 40.
• SurvivorNet experts recommend performing a monthly breast self-exam to look for anything unusual with your breasts because it can help catch breast cancer between regularly scheduled mammograms.
• Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening.
• 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.
• Remember, resilience is not a skill you’re born with, but one you can acquire. Resilience helps people cope with inevitable challenges and refuse to give up, just like Ewing did throughout her cancer journey.

Army Specialist Bryce Ewing was 23 years old when her doctor dismissed a lump she discovered during her third trimester of pregnancy as a clogged milk duct, however, a biopsy later revealed she had breast cancer. Now, the medically retired aviation specialist is recounting her breast cancer journey to inspire others to "keep pushing" if something feels wrong and to stay positive through adversity. RELATED: Bi-Annual Mammograms At Age 40 Now Recommended For Most Women, What The New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Mean For You

Ewing, who loved working on Blackhawk helicopters during her time in the army, told the U.S. Army in a recent interview that she received her breast cancer diagnosis at 23 after requesting a biopsy just two months after giving birth to her baby. She explained, "I wish I had gone sooner in my recovery because I believe I could have benefitted more." The mom of two, who has a family history of breast cancer, said that after she noticed a lump seven months into her pregnancy she decided to get a biopsy done. She recalls a radiologist dismissing the lump as simply a clogged milk duct. "I went home and two months later delivered my son. Then the lump got bigger, so I went back and had it looked at again, this time having the biopsy," she said. "They told me the bad news."

Expert Resources On Breast Cancer

• Breast Cancer: Introduction to Prevention & Screening
• Mammograms Are Still the Best Tool for Detecting Breast Cancer — A Warning About Thermography
• How to Avoid False Positive Cancer Results in Women With Dense Breasts: Ultrasounds Used in Addition To Mammograms
• 6 Common Excuses for Skipping a Mammogram That You Need to Stop Using!

As for how she felt following her diagnosis, she continued, "It's definitely different being a very young woman with breast cancer as it's typical for older women to have it. You feel weird sitting in the waiting room and feel like you aren't supposed to be there. There isn't a lot of support or groups specifically for young women with breast cancer." She had her first mastectomy on Oct 28, 2013, followed by 15 rounds of chemotherapy and 32 rounds of radiation. RELATED: Pregnant Mom, 35, Thought Lump in Her Breast Was 'Hard Milk Calcification' But It Turned Out to Be Cancer: How She AND Her Baby Survived Ewing said she found the most support when she decided to go to the Soldier Recovery Unit in Fort Stewart, Georgia, adding, "They had transportation, barracks, medical staff, and everything you needed to be successful in your recovery. "I am glad I was able to experience the SRU when I did. I was there from 2015 until my retirement in 2017." They helped even more with my appointment and additional surgeries." I Wanted My Doctor To Like Me, Then He Missed My Breast Cancer She credits the SRU for helping her maintain optimism throughout her cancer journey. "I'm doing great. I am thriving. It did take a while. After years of surgeries and mental health issues – the SRU helped me through the tough parts. They actually took out my major pectoralis muscle so learning to adapt in sports and train the proper way meant a lot for me to be powerlifting in the SRU- "They helped me so much. I could not do this five years ago. Despite adapting to the changes in her body, Ewing insists, "After surgery and my muscle removal, I'm not the same, but I'm not giving up. I do things differently. I am where I am, and this is the new me, and I'm accepting of that!" In an effort to inspire those hearing her story, she urges, "Always be the best advocate for yourself. If you feel something is wrong, keep pushing. Keep a positive attitude, and don't give up."

Helpful Information About Breast Cancer Screening

The medical community has a consensus that women between 45 and 54 have annual mammograms. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) says that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives. For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms. Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, have dense breasts, have a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation , or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before age 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer. WATCH: Understanding the BRCA gene mutation Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category . If you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier. Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening. 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk. RELATED: 3D Mammography Detects 34% More Breast Cancers Than Traditional Mammography

Breast Cancer Symptoms & Self-Exams

Women are encouraged to do regular self-exams to become familiar with how their breasts feel normally so something like a lump forming can be easily detected. A self-exam includes pressing your fingertips along your breast in a circular motion. If you feel something abnormal, such as a lump or discharge from the nipple, you should contact your doctor for further examination. Below are common symptoms to look out for:

• New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
• Any change in the size or the shape of the breast
• Swelling on all or part of the breast
• Skin dimpling or peeling
• Breast or nipple pain
• Nipple turning inward
• Redness or scaliness of breast or nipple skin
• Nipple discharge (not associated with breastfeeding)

Learn Your Risk and Listen to the Guidelines: An Important Message About Breast Cancer Awareness

Leading Experts Urge Us to Be Proactive

"If I had any advice for you following a cancer diagnosis, it would be, first, to seek out multiple opinions as to the best care," National Cancer Institute Chief of Surgery Steven Rosenberg told us in a previous interview, "because finding a doctor who is up to the latest of information is important." As we highlight in several areas of SurvivorNet, highly respected doctors sometimes disagree on the right course of treatment, and advances in genetics and immunotherapy are creating new options. Also, in some instances the specific course of treatment is not clear cut. That's even more reason why understanding the potential approaches to your disease is crucial. At the National Cancer Institute, there is a patient referral service that will "guide patients to the right group depending on their disease state so that they can gain access to these new experimental treatments," Rosenberg says. Cancer Research Legend Urges Patients to Get Multiple Opinions Furthermore, getting another opinion may also help you avoid doctor biases. For example, some surgeons own radiation treatment centers. "So there may be a conflict of interest if you present to a surgeon that is recommending radiation because there is some ownership of that type of facility," Dr. Jim Hu, director of robotic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet. Other reasons to get a second opinion include:

• To see a doctor who has more experience treating your type of cancer
• You have a rare type of cancer
• There are several ways to treat your cancer
• You feel like your doctor isn't listening to you, or isn't giving you good advice
• You have trouble understanding your doctor
• You don't like the treatment your doctor is recommending, or you're worried about its possible side effects
• Your insurance company wants you to get another medical opinion
• Your cancer isn't improving on your current treatment

Be Pushy, Be Your Own Advocate, Says Leading Expert Bottom line, being proactive about your health could be a matter of life or death. Learn as much as you can from as many experts as you can, so that you know that you did your best to take control of your health.

Staying Positive Despite Adversity

We love how Army Specialist Bryce Ewing stayed positive and hopeful throughout her cancer journey, which is why we’d like to point out how SurvivorNet specializes in covering the lives of people who overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Often, seeing the positive helps them maintain their resilience. WATCH: Defining and Building Resilience Dr. Zuri Murrell, an oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, previously spoke to SurvivorNet about the role of a positive outlook on survival rates, saying, “I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patient are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.” Resilience is an important trait, but not the easiest to build. The ultimate goal is not to avoid tough times, but to be able to bounce back from them. And yet, when they are faced with an overwhelming, life-changing situation, how do people shift their view? How do they learn to see the problem as temporary, rather than permanent, and figure out a solution? It’s complicated, because building resilience is more about your mental and emotional fortitude than anything else. According to the American Psychological Association , “the resources and skills associated with more positive adaptation (i.e., greater resilience) can be cultivated and practiced.” In other words, resilience is not something you’re born with, which should be encouraging. Instead, after every challenge in your life, you build more and more resilience to those hard times. You can build resilience the way you build muscle – through patience and steady exercise of the skill. Here are some lessons taken from Fischer, Runkel, and Soller, all who have spoke with SurvivorNet in earlier interviews.

• Be willing to learn. If one way doesn’t work, find a different way. If an obstacle lands in your way, build a path around it or over it. In Resilience, one of the athletes says, “You always have to be learning. Otherwise, life gets stagnant.” The more you learn, the more you grow and growth is a sign of resilience.
• Spend time with people who inspire you. Our world is filled with people who overcome challenges, and their success can energize you to overcome your own. Think about famous people who hava faced adversity and did not give up Stephen King actually threw his manuscript, Carrie, in the trash because it had been rejected by publishers so many times. His wife encouraged him to keep sending it out, and he finally sold it in 1974 launching a massively successful career as a novelist. Take the time to read and learn about the lives of Helen Keller, Jackie Robinson, Bethany Hamilton, Nelson Mandela, and others.
• Allow yourself to grieve. Don’t push away or dismiss your frustration and sadness. Ben Fischer says that life can be filled with lots of crying, but “Those cries make us stronger.”
• Be flexible. Abandon the idea that there is only one solution or that you must stick to your original plan. The best solution or plan is the one that eventually works. You may need to change your original plan as the circumstances change.
• Lean in to your community. Your friends, colleagues, and family are invaluable, and when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed by a problem, their support can carry you. The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the longest study of human well-being. Many news outlets have covered its results, which show that maintaining strong, healthy relationships helped people live longer lives. Psychiatrist and author Dr. Samantha Boardman tells SurvivorNet that connecting with and contributing to the lives of other people are two of “the three wellsprings of vitality” (the third is feeling positively challenged).

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff