Breast cancer survivor shares story as Pioneers Memorial unveils 3D mammogram machine

“When someone tells you, you have cancer you don’t know what to expect. You probably think, you still have the hope that it’s just benign. It’ll probably just be removed,” said Ana Palayo, breast cancer survivor.

But for Pelayo, that 11-centimeter mass growing in her breast turned out to be cancer. Pelayo isn’t a stranger to mammograms.

In fact, she got her first one at just 18 years old. At that time, doctors detected a mass her breast but it was removed. Years later, another mass, another removal.

But after 18 years, she got the news no one wants to hear.

Pelayo said, “The first thing thought to my mind was cancer. I don’t want to die. So I didn’t want to go through chemo, anything like that. I just wanted it to be removed as soon as possible.”

She had a double mastectomy after doctors feared the mass in her breasts was cancerous and could spread to her lungs.

Pelayo is now healthy again but doctors believe the malignant mass would have been detected earlier with a 3-D mammogram.

One official from a local cancer support group hopes residents will take advantage of this opportunity.

Oreda Chin, executive director of Imperial Valley Cancer Support said, “Yes, I think it will be a game changer here in the valley. This new technology will help women feel a little bit more confident about a cancer diagnosis. To find out earlier if it is a positive or negative result.”

Pelayo hopes to share her experience and be an advocate about the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

Pelayo said, ” I feel like an opportunity to continue living. I still have a lot of things to do. And probably help other women that didn’t have the advice like I do now.”