SAYRE, PA (WETM) – A breast self-exam can help you detect breast cancer earlier when it is easier to treat. And that is exactly what happened with one local nurse.

Tertia Lee is a registered nurse who says that if she didn’t do her monthly self-exam, it would have been years before she had a mammogram. Following a shower after finishing a set of night shifts, she performed a self-exam and discovered a lump. Which initially left her in disbelief.

When it was still there a few days later, she contacted her doctor and got in and then two days later had her first mammogram.

Early detection is important, it saves lives, we know if people are diagnosed in earlier stages, people have a better chance at survival.

Jennifer Schecter, Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner, Guthrie Clinic

Schecter says, If you notice something that is different, don’t just ignore it. It is easy to say, This is normal, This is nothing to worry about. However, bring this to the attention of your doctor, as early detection helps in early treatment.

Tertia did 6 rounds of vigorous chemotherapy, then had surgery and recently completed her radiation therapy. And is hopeful that the follow-up testing results are benign. And her advice to anyone that does find something is to Don’t wait.

She says that the mammogram was probably the easiest part of this process, and more importantly, to do the self-exam.