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By Andrea Nagel
Shocked only
begins
to describe
the mountain of emotions Cindy
Fabianski was faced with on July 31,
2013, after being diagnosed with
stage IV breast cancer. With regular
yearly screenings and no family
history, breast cancer was the last
thing Cindy expected after a visit
with her primary care physician.
“I went to the doctor because
of some severe back pain that
wasn’t getting better after seeing
my chiropractor and doing physical
therapy,” she said. “I joked with
my husband as I left to get my
imaging results, saying, ‘You don’t
need to come with me—it’s not like
I have cancer.’ It was the last thing
I expected.”
Cindy’s cancer had metasta-
sized to her bones, causing severe
pain and limiting her movement.
After her diagnosis, her physician
referred her to Kootenai Clinic
oncologist Kevin Kim, M.D., for
further evaluation and treatment.
“When Cindy was diagnosed in
2013, her mammogram showed an
With a little help
from our funds
C I N D Y A N D H E R FA M I LY R E C E I V E D
S O M E M U C H - N E E D E D F I N A N C I A L
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abnormality in her right breast,”
Dr. Kim said. “However, her
mammogram in 2012 was normal,
so it’s possible that her cancer
started after the 2012 mammogram.
Another possibility is that there was
a small cancer in 2012 but the
screening did not detect it. Having
dense breast tissue can lower the
sensitivity of the mammogram.”
Although other screening options
are available, Dr. Kim explained
that there is no evidence that they
provide any additional benefit. Cur-
rent guidelines do not recommend
any other breast cancer screenings
for women with an average risk. Dr.
Kim did say that if someone has
a family history of breast or ovar-
ian cancer, he would recommend
receiving an MRI in addition to
regular mammograms.
H E L P I S A V A I L A B L E
After Cindy’s radiation treatments,
the pain in her bones began
subsiding and she eased back into
her daily routine before beginning
chemotherapy.
“I am so grateful for the support
CANCER CARE
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