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Not the Same, But Stronger and Wiser.

Writer's picture: Surviving Breast CancerSurviving Breast Cancer

By Dr. Antje Petershagen


My name is Dr. Antje Petershagen. I am a doctor specializing in rehabilitative medicine, a psycho-oncologist, and a breast cancer survivor.


SBC note: According to the American Psychosocial Oncology Society, psycho-oncology is “a cancer specialty that addresses the variety of psychological, behavioral, emotional and social issues that arise for cancer patients and their loved ones.”



Art by Dr. Antje Petershagen


Illness has accompanied me since early childhood. I cannot remember my body without scars. I have three abdominal scars. The first two I got in 1965, when I was three years old. After a partial ileum resection (intestinal surgery), I needed additional surgeries for adhesive ileus (bowel obstructions). I had adhesive ileus again in 1981. I had additional partial ileum resection and surgery for adhesive ileus in 1996. I have also been diagnosed with pelvic vein thrombosis with subsequent pulmonary emboli. In this context, a factor V mutation was diagnosed, with lifelong anticoagulation therapy.


Since not knowing my body was different from others, I never felt really ill. As a little girl, I thought, this is a “normal” body. I worked around many physical problems due to my intestinal issues and diarrhea, but I never held myself back from participating in any adventure.


As a child, I was bullied because of my scars (kids can be cruel), and I was very skinny. Gaining weight was a problem since I spent most of my childhood and teenage years in the bathroom. I was shy and the time being hospitalized at a young age, not seeing my parents, not understanding what was going on, left scars in my soul. In these times there was no psychological support, neither for me nor my parents.


In early adulthood, despite my additional illnesses, I felt pretty good. I finished my university education, medical school, and even my 5-year internship. Somehow, I am resilient and I know how to cope with illness.


In 2012, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and it was a challenge. I had been seeing my gynecologist for cancer screenings since I was 50. This time, I’d had no symptoms but I felt an inner call to go for the screening. The diagnosis process involved a manual exam, ultrasound, mammogram, and a vacuum-assisted core biopsy. I was diagnosed with highly-moderately differentiated invasive ductal carcinoma and highly to moderately differentiated ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), both in the left breast.


I proceeded to have surgery to remove the cancer and some surrounding breast tissue. After tissue removal, histology was used to determine whether the surrounding tissue was cancer-free. Twice, surgery did not achieve cancer-free status. However, the lymph nodes were not affected and no metastases were detected.


Because the operations were not successful, I decided to have a single left mastectomy. I decided to have reconstructive plastic surgery at the same time.