our very own DNA. Our health condition may have been passed down from our parents and even other relatives.
Research even supports that 5 to 10 percent of Breast Cancers are hereditary. Understanding that any type of breast cancer may be hereditary in your family, can help you receive treatment sooner than later.
3. Ask Your Doctor Questions & Voice Your Concerns
Additionally, voicing our concerns during doctor’s appointments is paramount to our health. Miller says that after her horrible experience with the oncologist, she refused to let any doctor devalue and dismiss her.
She believes that we need to make our voices heard and ask questions about our condition. Never be afraid to stand up to adversity and push through.
RELATED: 5 Ways to Advocate for Yourself at the Doctor’s Office
4. Have A Family Member Tag Along
Miller also suggests that patients bringing a family member along with them to doctor’s appointments can help yield a positive health outcome. With a relative present, patients not only feel more at ease, but they also have a second pair of ears. The family member may have questions of their own that could further provide more context and understanding of the patient’s breast cancer.
Patients with metastatic breast cancer can advocate for themselves in more ways than one. Though, what’s most important is that when we take action, we are dispelling myths about Black health and ridding of racial bias in the medical world.
Miller knows that change won’t happen overnight, but the more we progress, the closer we come to saving more lives from metastatic breast cancer.