Yes, it's just a tv show, but this bugs me. Last night's episode, a
breastfeeding mother "ignored" her cancer symptoms, because she "thought it
was a plugged duct." The parents fought about a mastectomy vs a lumpectomy,
immediately weaned the year-old baby (who fought the bottle, but later
everyone celebrated when the baby took a bottle), and blamed breastfeeding
for her cancer "getting so big."

If "they" were considering a lumpectomy, that says the cancer was relatively
contained, and the surgery would be less invasive. Breastfeeding could have
possibly continued. If the cancer was "so big" or invasive that she required
a mastectomy, there would have been no question or discussion over
treatment.

The blame on breastfeeding was the mother thinking her growing lump was a
plugged duct. Wouldn't that have been intensely painful? The breast ca
(obviously limited experience) I've been involved with were large, painless
lumps. (And, both mothers I worked with said they had brought it up to their
doctor repeatedly, and were told that "breastfeeding mothers don't get
cancer, so don't even bother with a monthly breast exam.")

Is it any surprise that The View is the lead on the Breast Cancer Awareness
Campaign for ABC?

Happy weekend!

Heather "Sam" Doak



Heather "Sam" Doak IBCLC
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