Kathy Woodyard
1/7/67–2/13/99

"In losing my daughter, I think the hardest thing to live with is the memory of the kind of care she received from her oncologist and her HMO. It is this memory that I cannot forgive or forget that has made me such an advocate for women facing breast cancer."
        — Gayla Wilson

My daughter Kathy died February 13, 1999 after fighting aggressive metastatic breast cancer. We were led to believe it could be controlled and managed with chemotherapy and she could make it about 4 years.

In hindesight, if we had known more we would have done things quite differently. The chemos weren't working and she died in 7 months. In addition, maybe because we had an HMO, I don't believe the care was adequate. 

Initial Prognosis & Treatment

False prognoses based on standard
tests that are NOT conclusive
Based on a needle biopsy, mammogram, and ultrasound, the diagnosis was fibroadanoma with a follow-up in ten years.

We were never told that…

... a needle biopsy is not conclusive because the needle could miss the central cancer cells located inside a lump (even with sophisticated stereotactic methods). Also a needle biopsy can leave seeded cancer cells in the needle track line which might spread the cancer. Many doctors will not perform a needle biopsy.

… a mammogram was not conclusive.

… an ultrasound was not conclusive.

… only a tissue sample biopsy of the actual cancer is conclusive.

… Digital Infrared Imaging (Breast Thermography) may have shown activity in the breast that could have been a strong indicator that there was cancer. We were never told of this technology. For more information on DII (Digital Infrared Imaging) Breast Thermography click here.

We were led to believe all tests were conclusive
They told her to get another mammogram in ten years. The only reason she finally had surgery was due to the pain the lumps were causing. It is mandatory for a police officer to wear a bullet-proof vest which pressed on the lumps. So Kathy asked for the lumps to be removed. Since the doctor didn't consider it a medical emergency he scheduled it for after his long vacation.

3 Month Delay Until Surgery
According to a medical practitioner, the medical community does not consider it important to delay surgery for 3 months or longer when they believe it is not cancer.

Remember the word "believe".
That isn't the same as knowing absolutely it is not cancer.

If early detection gives the best survival advantage why aren't women being treated with a "sense of urgency"? And why aren't conclusive tests being done to make sure. I've read a research paper that indicated a 3 month delay in surgery can be a death sentence in a young women with aggressive disease.

Clean Margins after Surgery
Because the surgeon was convinced it was not he wanted to do as little tissue removal as possible for cosmetic reasons. He did not get clean margins and had to repeat the surgery 2 weeks later after discovering it was cancer. Getting clean margins is very important in cancer surgery.

Knowing this now:
• I would have insisted on a pathology report from a tissue sample.
• I would have insisted it be done within a 2 week time frame from the time the initial lump was discovered.
• I would have insisted the surgeon treat the lumps as if they were cancer to be safe and be sure to get really clean margins and I would let him know that safe not cosmetics was what was important.

Her cancer was grade 3, er/pr negative, poorly differentiated.
Kathy's first lumpectomy was in September 1998. They removed approximately 2.5 cm of tumors, one encased a lymph node. The second surgery was performed 2 weeks later to get clean margins and 14 lymph nodes were removed. Of the 14 all were negative. The subsequent treatment she received was 4 cycles of adryamiacin + cytoxin followed by 28 radiation treatments. She finished treatment in February of 1999. She returned to work in April 1999 hoping she had been fully cured. In July 1999 she found out she had mutiple tumors in both lungs, 3 cm tumor on her ovary, a 1 cm tumor in her liver, and tumors in her pelvic bone region. She was told it could be managed with chemotherapy and she could make it about 4 years.

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