Woman discovered she had second cancer while being treated for first: ‘I was very lucky’

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women, so its early detection is essential to receive prompt treatment.

Simon Barbosa, a 67-year-old Brazilian, had been undergoing mammograms for some time; however, in 2020, he was unable to undergo routine examinations due to the suspension of services due to the high demand for care caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

When she finally had a mammogram that same year, a lump was found in her breast, a biopsy of which showed it was a tumor, and she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I had two cancers at the same time

As part of the tests she underwent for breast cancer, a CT scan revealed that Barbosa was also suffering lung cancer.

“In more than 30 years of mastology, Simon she was the first patient in whom I saw breast and lung cancer at the same time“, revealed the patient’s mastologist and oncoplastic surgeon, Leonidas Noronhaa BBC news.

“There is no single answer as to why this happens. It could be related to a genetic predisposition, but this could only be confirmed with a DNA sequencing test,” the doctor added.

“I have been very blessed”

Regarding the dual cancer diagnosis, Simona is grateful that the two cancers were detected almost simultaneously.

“I was very lucky. I truly believe God gave me breast cancer so I could see lung cancer. I didn’t have any symptoms, so I wouldn’t have been tested if it weren’t for the first diagnosis,” the patient told the aforementioned media.

Barbosa’s treatment was jointly decided by the patient, mastologist, clinical oncologist, and thoracic surgeon.

“Since chemotherapy had already been indicated for the size of the largest tumor in the lung, we decided to start treatment in sessions,” explained the doctor. Then he underwent breast surgery and finally lung surgery.

The patient explained that “because I would be having two surgeries in a short time, I opted for the robotic lung surgery option, which the doctors explained would cause less pain and a quicker return to my routine.”

The thoracic surgeon of the Marcellin Champagnat Hospital, Leonardo Rottili Roede, clarified that given the size of the tumor “we have removed one of the lung lobes”. This caused the patient a first loss of respiratory capacity, which she was able to recover thanks to the rehabilitation treatments.

Currently, Simone Barbosa”is in remission from cancerbut, like any patient who has had the disease, he needs to be monitored for several years,” said his attending physician, Leonidas Noronha.