Knowledge is Power
Danny Sledge
Nov, 2015
When it comes to discovering a disease when it’s most treatable, having thorough knowledge of a patient and their risk factors can make a huge difference in their outcome. Danny Sledge, knows the power of awareness firsthand.
A few years ago, Danny began seeing a new primary care provider after his doctor of ten years left the practice. While he was unsure whether his new provider would be a good fit for him, the doctor quickly proved he was knowledgeable in his field.
“When I met him for the first time, he said he’d looked over my file and noticed a family history of breast cancer, and thought I should get a mammogram,” said Danny. “I learned that I had some risk factors; I was African-American, I was 61 years old, and I had a family history of the disease. So I had a few tests scheduled, and they discovered a one centimeter malignant tumor that was Stage I breast cancer.”
Because of the doctor's familiarity with Danny’s history and his knowledge of breast cancer risk factors, the cancer was able to be caught at an early stage where it could be more easily treated.
“Because men don’t typically go through the same screenings as women, it’s often discovered later. I realized that I had been with my previous doctor for ten years, but he had not put the pieces together,” said Danny. “Someone with fresh eyes saw the risk factors and decided to check it out, and because of that, my cancer was discovered at Stage I.”
It is important to be aware of how your culture influences the way you communicate, and to know when to ask more questions. While both Danny’s maternal grandmother and father had breast cancer, Danny learned of his family history secondhand.
“People really don’t talk about cancer in the African-American community — typically, personal information is private, and not easily shared,” said Danny. “I found out that my grandmother had a mastectomy from my cousin, and when I asked my dad about it, I found out that he had breast cancer, too. I didn’t learn that his cancer recurred and was bilateral until after he had passed away and I needed more information for my diagnosis.”
Although Danny has been very open about his health, it is important to know that not everyone is.
“I think it’s important for doctors to be knowledgeable of their patients' family history or other risk factors, and to establish a solid relationship built on trust,” said Danny. “Not everyone experiences the health system the same way but it's important that we are all assertive and proactive about early screenings."
According to the American Cancer Society, 2,350 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in men in 2015, and 440 men will die from breast cancer.
Risk factors for breast cancer in men include:
- Age
- Alcohol use
- Family history of breast cancer
- Inherited gene mutations
- Obesity
- Radiation exposure
- Klinefelter syndrome, liver disease, or other factors that increase estrogen levels
To learn more about cancer screenings available at Lakeland, click here
Watch Danny share his story in the video below: