The radiologist immediately performed a biopsy on Walker. It revealed stage 2 carcinoma, a cancer within her breast tissue.
“I was in disbelief, you know,” she said. “I was questioning God like, why me, why do I have cancer?”
Walker, who is a nurse practitioner, was able to fight the disease. She attributes her successful outcome against cancer to her spirituality, her support system, an active lifestyle and the mammogram.
“Had I waited six or more months later, it could have been a stage three or a stage four for that matter,” she said. “So I tell people to make sure that you are taking time out for yourself to take your preventative screening measures.”
Mississippi is expected to have nearly 500 deaths caused by breast cancer in 2025, according to the American Cancer Society. Erica Kuhn, the director of Health Information and Publications at Susan G. Komen, says this may impact some groups disproportionately.
“I'd say, overall, more white women get breast cancer, but younger black women, there are higher rates of incidence,” she said. “The mortality rate for black women in the United States is actually about 40% higher than white women in the United States.”
Kuhn says screening is the best way to increase the chance of a positive prognosis.
“The earlier breast cancer is detected, the higher their survival rates,” she said.
Walker says her health outcome has helped to motivate her professionally.
“It just taught me that no one is immune,” she said. “When you're a health care provider, sometimes you think you are a superhero and you are kind of immune to some of the things that you treat patients for, but we're human. We're all human.”
October is breast cancer awareness month.
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