Mary Capano, RN, breast cancer survivor for 13 years, is a personal care coordinator for those going through similar ordeals at St. Agnes Hospital’s Breast Center. Selected for the innovative position with its launch at the Catholic facility in 2002, Capano offers women and men undergoing breast cancer treatment understanding, support, education and assistance that only a trained professional and sister sufferer can provide.
A Catonsville resident, Capano is a wife and a mother of three. She is a certified Breast Health Navigator and is currently studying for her master’s degree in nursing at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland.
What was it like being diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing treatment?
I was pretty scared, facing the unknown. I had no family history of cancer, and was first in my circle of friends to develop it. Being the mother of young children, my biggest fear was not being around to see them grow up. I found my own breast lump by doing a self-exam, and was diagnosed in October 1995. The biopsy showed invasive cancer that had spread to three lymph nodes. From there I went through chemotherapy, radiation and medication.
Why is the work of a personal care coordinator important?
Because I am able to help cancer patients navigate this unexpected journey, providing them educational and emotional support. When I tell my patients that I’m a survivor myself, their eyes usually light up. To know the road ahead, it’s often best to talk to those who are on their way back.
What is the most important ingredient in the service you render cancer patients?
Most of the time patients are overwhelmed and frightened, undergoing a vast array of emotions, like anxiety, fear, anger, shock. So, initially I help them prioritize what’s going on, sticking to what we know to be true at the moment and what is the best, next step. That can be extremely helpful because oftentimes it’s hard to focus on what to do next. There’s a tendency to think about all the “what ifs.”
What is the current survival rate for people with breast cancer?
Actually, it’s excellent with early detection, and that’s what we try to stress. The survival rate for breast cancer, detected in its early stages, is 96 to 97 percent. Actually, as we get older, our risk of developing breast cancer increases. Many older women aren’t aware of this.
Do you also help men with breast cancer issues?
Yes. Men with breast cancer can face everything a woman faces — mastectomy, radiation, chemotherapy. The breast cancer rate for men is about one-in-a-100, however. Unfortunately, what often happens with men more so than with women is that they tend to ignore a lump or a bump. So, when I’m out in the community, I try to educate wives about breast cancer risks for their husbands.
Are we winning this war against breast cancer?
I think that we are. We’re making great strides in treatments, diagnostics, early detection technology, and in minimally invasive biopsy procedures and breast conservation treatments. But we still don’t have a cure … though there are compelling cancer vaccine trials now under way at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
How would you advise women and men who may read this?
I would tell them to be proactive and educated about their own health care, keeping current with things we know lead to early detection — and to get regular checkups.
