At least ten thousand women per year are misdiagnosed with breast cancer! Robin M. Gray, a young registered nurse from Upstate New York who had breast cancer misdiagnosed for seventeen long months, can tell you that a misdiagnosis can happen to anyone, even when you think you are in the hands of trusted and experienced physicians. Like many women, Robin trusted her doctors when she was told that her breast lump was benign. However, seventeen months after Robin first saw a doctor for her breast lump; she was delayed diagnosed with breast cancer! Due to the late diagnosis, Robin required many more surgeries and chemotherapy, as cancer was found to have spread to her lymph node.
Robin's story is not uncommon. Often physicians do not do all the correct tests and aggressive procedures to adequately rule out cancer, especially in young women, thinking cancer is not probable. Of course a missed or delayed cancer diagnosis is dangerous for any age, especially for younger women who often have more aggressive cancer subtypes, where even a small delay may gravely impact on prognosis.
Today, Robin is a seven year survivor. She feels miraculously blessed to be here enjoying her family of three boys and a loving husband. She also feels a calling to turn her tragic experiences into something positive for others. In a new book Robin recently published, BREAST LUMP WHAT LIES BENEATH, she educates women about the common place of breast cancer misdiagnosis and guides women in how to obtain the correct diagnosis. Robin also believes her story will encourage those who have already suffered a misdiagnosis or anyone facing the crisis of a cancer diagnosis. A percentage of the proceeds from her book will go to the Young Survivor Coalition and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The book is available to purchase from Amazon.com.
Eight Breast Cancer Symptoms: When To Worry 
Ten Breast Cancer Myths Debunked 
Eat to Live: 10 Things to Know About Breast Cancer and Nutrition 
Breast Cancer Survivors: 10 things to guard against 
Because I did not have family history, my mamography was negative and no lump, nobody except my G.P.would listen that I had some pain and I knew there was something wrong.
3 Months later I had my biopsy, it was breast cancer, I was sent to an oncologist that recommended no chemo, or mastectomy.
I told my doctor that I wanted chemo and a mastectomy, my wish was granted and I was found that I had another larger tumor , invasive and diferent from the one during the biopsy.
I am 16 years from that day.
Congratulations on survivoring for 16 years and good for being your own best advocate and seeking out the treatment you needed or you might not be here today to tell of it. I am glad you found your other breast cancer tumor through you pushing for the mastectomy. Best wishes for many more years of surviving.
I, too, had no family hx of breast cancer. My gynecologist sent me to a surgeon after
my mammogram came back with a suspicious area. There was no lump, nothing to palpate. The surgeon told me "not to worry about it....it was NOTHING." I told him I wanted an MRI to be sure. He told me "it wasn't necessary...but I insisted! Thank God I did. I had breast cancer. I had a double mastectomy in December of 07. I am a one year survivor. I know if I waited another year, it would have been in my lymph.
It was an aggressive, invasive type of cancer. My thoughts: Don't take "No" for an answer. Be proactive! Research and read!! If you don't do it, who will???
Good for you for being your own best advocate!
I too had been told "dont worry" now - - it's just something we see on the mammo we will watch - another mammo in 6 months. I should have made the decision not to wait and go ahead with a biopsy. well 6 months later - i now have breast cancer tumor - small in size but the breast MRI showed another tumor closer to center of my chest. I immediately decided on double mastectomy with implants. I am scared to death of the pain i will be having and worried about this moving to another area. The doctor won't know, he says, if there is anything in the lobes yet til after the surgery? I'm very nervous - i need to be able to talk with someone who has had this surgery so that i can better prepare for the results and post care. I'm a wreck - - on top of that - - - quitting smoking is another challenge. I'm trying to stay positive about the surgery - but how could it be that easy? Remove the breast and that's it? I can't believe it can only be this. I'm scared this cancer may be elsewhere as it took years to find ......