Wanda Sykes On Stage 0 Breast Cancer: ‘Early Detection Is Key’

• Comedian Wanda Sykes shares her journey with breast cancer and why she is raising awareness.
• While 1 in 8 females may face breast cancer in their lifetime, early detection increases survival rates.
• Regular mammograms can detect breast cancer at earlier stages.

Known for her funny standup routines and acting roles in sitcoms like “The Upshaws,” Wanda Sykes knows how to get her audience’s attention.

On Super Bowl Sunday, Sykes’s commercial appearance could capture the attention of millions of viewers tuning into the event. The Novartis commercial, “Your Attention, Please,” confronts society’s fixation on breasts and brings breast health to the forefront of the conversation by spreading awareness regarding early detection.

“I was happy to do it to get the message out [on] early screening. I know how many women this is going to reach. It was easy to sign on to be a part of this,” Sykes told Healthline.

Breast cancer is personal for Sykes. In 2011, she became one of the average 1 in 8 females who will face breast cancer in their lifetime.

At 47 years old, while going through the process of having breast reduction surgery, she was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a collection of cancerous cells inside the lining of a breast duct.

Although she was stage 0, Sykes chose to undergo a double mastectomy because cancer runs on her mother’s side of the family.

“I didn’t know there was such a stage as stage 0 because friends and loved ones who had gone through it weren’t as fortunate; they were like stage 3 and stage 4, but when I heard cancer, of course, it was terrifying because I had so many people close to me, I knew what they were going through,” she said.

Sykes felt fortunate that her cancer was detected in its early stages. Before her diagnosis, she regularly got mammograms and valued the benefit of screenings.

“Early detection [is] key,” Sykes said. Stage 0 breast cancer has a 5-year survival rate greater than 99% and is typically discovered during a routine mammogram or screening. “Not quite as scary as it used to be,” Sykes noted.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that females begin getting mammograms at 40 and continue every two years until they are 74. However, females can still choose to get a mammogram every year.

Mammograms are the standard of care for screening women with an average risk of breast cancer, and annual mammograms can help detect changes in breast tissue, said Paul Baron, MD, chief of breast surgery at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital.

“The best way of finding cancer is when it’s small because it may only require a lumpectomy and may not need chemotherapy, and treatment is easier,” he said.

He added that there is an increase in younger women getting breast cancer. New data from the American Cancer Society (ACS) found that between 2012 and 2021, the incidence rate of breast cancer overall increased by about 1% each year. However, the incidence rate among women under age 50 increased by about 1.4% each year.

“If patients are in their 30s, they are not generally getting mammograms. They are usually feeling a lump, which then leads to imaging,” said Baron.

The commercial featuring Sykes directs viewers to the website YourAttentionPlease.com, where they can sign up to receive mammogram reminders.

• age
• body mass index (BMI)
• breast density
• age of first menstruation
• pregnancy history
• stage of menopause
• use of hormone replacement therapy
• prior breast biopsy history
• cancer history
• genetic testing
• family cancer and genetics history

Baron said that all of his patients take the assessment test.

“It’s not perfect, but it’s considered the best one we have. You can do it yourself, and it only takes a few minutes,” he noted.

Females with a lifetime risk of breast cancer that is 15% or less are considered average risk.

Females with a 20% or greater lifetime risk are classified as high risk for breast cancer. They are candidates for increased screening with annual mammograms and annual breast MRIs, alternating between the two every 6 months.

In some cases, risk-reduction medications may be recommended, said Blakely D. Kute, MD, board certified medical oncologist and hematologist at Norton Cancer Institute.

“Genetic testing and lifestyle modifications are often discussed with this group as well,” she said.

“[But] it is unclear whether screening recommendations should differ for women with dense breast tissue. Currently, there are no guidelines suggesting additional imaging for this group, and insurance is unlikely to cover them,” said Kute.

Breast ultrasounds may be used for screening in females with dense breast tissue and can detect breast abnormalities, including cysts, tumors, and blood clots.

Like mammograms, however, ultrasounds may also show false positives.

Research suggests nearly half of females experience at least one false positive mammogram during a decade of annual screenings.

With ultrasounds, that figure is even higher. While ultrasound for breast cancer screening in females with dense breasts detects 4.4 more cancers per 1,000 females compared to mammography alone, the false-positive rate for ultrasound is higher than 90%, according to some estimates.

“Ultrasound finds a lot of false positives because a lot of people have cysts, and it picks up on those, and those lead to other imaging and biopsies and procedures,” said Baron.

“[Black] women tend to be diagnosed with more aggressive subtypes, in later stages, and have a higher breast cancer-specific mortality,” said Kute.

Less access to mammography, lower quality medical care, and various lifestyle factors may contribute to this disparity.

“But these factors alone can’t account for the higher incidence of a more aggressive type, triple-negative breast cancer,” said Kute.

Triple-negative breast cancer occurs when cells lack receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and the HER2 protein, which makes it difficult to treat with targeted therapies that usually target these receptors.

“There is promising research in triple-negative breast cancer, but minorities tend to be underrepresented in clinical trials, which can limit our understanding of unique patient groups,” said Kute.

Sykes said this reality reinforces that women of color must get screened and stay on top of their health.

“I recognize this is easier said than done, but maintaining a healthy BMI after menopause and limiting weight gain during perimenopause are key factors,” Kute said.

Other lifestyle habits to follow include:

• Exercise at least 150 minutes per week (aim for 30 minutes a day, five days a week), with half of that being more vigorous. “Exercise is beneficial even without weight loss,” Kute said.
• Limit alcohol to no more than one glass per day. “People who drink regularly have a higher rate of breast cancer and higher mortality from it,” said Baron.
• Eat a healthful, plant-based diet, which may help lower breast cancer incidence and improve survival rates. “Plant-based diet just means a higher proportion of diet is plant-based, but you still can eat meat. However, the less red meat, the better,” said Baron.
• Get regular mammograms and share any concerns about your breasts with your doctor.

Sykes added that having humor in her life has helped her through her breast cancer journey.

“[I] had to have some laughs to help [me] get through it, and also, being married and having kids, I had to make it not so scary for them,” Sykes said. “In the hospital, you make a nurse laugh, you get better treatment. You get extra blankets.”