Pink month: CSC graduate fights breast cancer

By: Brandon Davenport & Samantha Persinger

Sports Editor, Co-editor 

Pink month is here. 

October not only brings us fall and Halloween, it’s also a month where sports teams wear pink, 5k walks are lined with pink banners, and pink ribbons are given away as a symbol of support for those that have been diagnosed with breast cancer.  

October has been the pivotal month for spreading awareness of the disease since 1985. According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths for women across the globe. 

Despite myths that young adults don’t suffer from breast cancer, women ages 20 to 30 can still develop it. 

In March, Madison Webb, a recent CSC graduate and statistically one of the best volleyball players to wear an Eagle jersey, noticed something wasn’t right with her health. Shortly after graduation she was diagnosed with stage-two breast cancer. 

Webb reacted to her diagnosis and the rounds of exams, ultrasounds, and chemotherapy treatments with an athlete’s mindset.

“I think honestly sports prepared me for this,” Webb said. “You just learn a lot of things of just life in general, but being a competitor, I just wanted to take this thing head on. 

“I don’t want to become a victim of cancer, I wanted to beat it even though it would take a toll on my body. I wanted to come out on the other end of it stronger than when it had started.”

With the support of her family and friends, Webb underwent treatment. On Oct. 1, Webb had her last of six bouts of chemotherapy and discovered just Monday the tumor she had found in March is gone. In the next couple of weeks Webb says she’ll undergo radiation and will have surgery at the end of October.

Webb said in March she had felt good, was working out and had no signs that would have indicated a health crisis. 

“By the grace of God I happened to feel a lump in my right breast and immediately knew, because of the size of it, something wasn’t right,” Webb said. 

She says initially her thoughts went to the worst. She visited CSC’s Health Services office but the nurse was out. A staff member there recommended she keep an eye on the lump. 

After about a month, the nature of the lump hadn’t changed and Webb returned and received a breast exam. After the exam she was referred to a doctor who suggested an ultrasound. She received the ultrasound the week of graduation and was originally diagnosed with a benign tumor. She was then connected with a clinic in Colorado to have it removed, but an additional ultrasound also found a spot on her lymph node.  

The day after, a biopsy showed that both the tumor and spot were positive for cancer. 

Webb’s discovery of the lump wasn’t necessarily “early detection.” She says lumps typically start out the size of a raisin. Hers had grown to the size of a grape by the time she made the initial discovery. 

Still, the earlier the cancer can be found, the more likely it is to have a positive outcome. 

“It’s not too early to start keeping an eye on these things even if you feel great or are feeling like yourself,” she says.

“Being aware and being able to catch it early can end up saving a life.” 

Webb also says young adults shouldn’t be scared or feel silly for having health concerns. “Assuming it’s nothing can be really dangerous.”

Upon learning she had breast cancer, Webb had to put off her post-college career plans in order to focus her energy on allowing her body to heal. But with the support of family, friends and her faith, she’s made significant progress toward becoming cancer free. 

Hopefully in sharing her experience, Webb can help other young women realize the importance of taking their health seriously.

Self exams can be the simplest way to be proactive about detecting breast cancer. When the cancer is detected in the early stages, women have a 93 percent or higher survival rate in the first five years. 

Students who suspect they may have discovered a lump, or think something may not be right with their health can visit the Health Services department at CSC or contact Western Community Health Resources for a breast exam. 

Webb suggests that even though a doctor’s visit can be scary, students might confide in or even bring a good friend along, or speak with their parents or a trusted family member for advice.