Melanie's and Carolyn's Story

A mother and daughter's battle against breast cancer

With a family history of breast cancer, Melanie Mumphrey understood the importance of early detection. So she made a pledge to herself that the day she turned 35 years old, she would insist on getting
a mammogram. When that day arrived, she knew it was the right thing to do. "I am not taking any chances with breast cancer," Mumphrey said to herself as she scheduled the appointment. "Early detection can save my life."

Days after having the mammogram, Mumphrey received the news that she'd been hoping to hear - the results were normal. She wouldn't have to worry about breast cancer for another year.

Breast Self-Exam Revealed Changes
But within four months, everything changed. During her monthly breast self-exam, Mumphrey discovered a suspicious lump in the left breast. She immediately felt the right breast, hoping to find a similar lump that would indicate that what she found was normal. But there was nothing there. "I just had a mammogram, and I am too young for breast cancer," she thought.

The next day, Mumphrey called her doctor and scheduled an appointment. She said nothing to her mother or the rest of her family about the lump she had found. Within two months, she had a sonogram, additional mammography and a lumpectomy. Seven days after the lumpectomy, biopsy reports revealed that she had stage 2 breast cancer.

She left the doctor's office and drove directly to her mother’s house. When she arrived, she shared her secret with her mother, Reverend Carolyn Dyson.

"When Melanie told me about her diagnosis, I felt like collapsing," says Dyson, whose own mother died of breast cancer 27 years ago at age 51. "I remembered that my mother's only sister was a 40-year breast cancer survivor. I thought, 'Shouldn't it be my turn to be diagnosed? How could this disease be striking my daughter?'"

From that day forward, Mumphrey, her mother and their family fought the disease together. Mumphrey underwent a modified radical mastectomy and chemotherapy treatments.

A Mammogram Caught Cancer Early
Six months into her daughter's treatment, Reverend Dyson scheduled her annual mammogram. "After I had the mammogram, the nurse walked into the room to tell me that the radiologist wanted to see me," says Reverend Dyson. "When the radiologist entered the room, she said, 'Reverend Dyson, there is something on your film that wasn't here last year.'"

Tests revealed that Reverend Dyson had early stage 1 breast cancer. "I will never forget holding my left breast with its four-day-old stitches as I accompanied Melanie to her chemotherapy treatment," she says. "I knew that this disease was serious and that together we would have to fight for our lives."

Reverend Dyson eventually received weeks of radiation treatment, while her daughter underwent weeks of radiation treatment and two reconstructive surgeries. During their journey, their roles reversed at times, as mother took care of daughter and daughter took care of mother.

Reaching Out to Cancer Patients
Today, four years later, Mumphrey and Dyson are healthy and reaching out to women to help educate them about the importance of early detection. Through a breast self-exam and mammogram, they both detected cancer during its most treatable stages. They hope their experience will make a difference for other women.

"When cancer is detected early and treated promptly, the prognosis can be significantly improved," explains oncologist Elizabeth Odumakinde, M.D., of Sutter Solano Medical Center (SSMC). "Having regular screenings is an important step in the fight against cancer."

Reverend Dyson is among board members involved in planning the new cancer center at SSMC. With other cancer survivors, community members and SSMC experts, she's helping to improve cancer patients' experiences. As part of Sutter Health's multibillion-dollar plan to expand services and upgrade the health care infrastructure of Northern California, SSMC is able to move forward in building this new cancer center. The facility will offer a range of services, including screening, diagnosis and treatment, in one convenient location.