RHOM star Guerdy Abraira announces breast cancer diagnosis
As Abraira prepares for surgery and treatment, she urges fans to get regular health check-ups.
Miami-based event planner and “Real Housewives of Miami” star Guerdy Abraira has returned from a brief social media hiatus to share a difficult diagnosis.
On Wednesday, Abraira announced in an Instagram post that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in March and is set to undergo surgery and treatment. She learned her diagnosis while vacationing in St. Barts with her family when her doctor called to inform her of the results of a recent mammogram test.
“It took me a while to process it all and this is why I took a break from social media last month, as many noticed. Many of you reached out to check on me and I am thankful for your caring gestures,” she wrote.
Currently, Abraira is preparing for an upcoming surgery followed by a treatment plan. Admitting the process is “definitely intense,” she asked for “empowerment not pity” from fans, reminding them that her RHOM catchphrase, “guerdyfy,” referring to her ability to put her own unique spin on events, applies here.
“I will “guerdyfy” this cancer as I guerdyfy everything else in my life,” she said.
Abraira added that she’s lucky to have discovered her breast cancer early and said, “it is still scary of course, but I have love and support from those around me and that alone is the fuel that I need.”
According to the American Cancer Society, a woman has a 99% chance of surviving breast cancer if it is detected before it has spread outside of the breast. The ACS also reports that after skin cancer, breast cancer remains the most common form of cancer women in the US are diagnosed with.
Abraira’s early detection is especially noteworthy because, according to the ACS, while Black women have a 4% lower incidence rate of breast cancer than white women, they have a 40% higher breast cancer death rate.
When theGrio spoke with Dr. Tracy-Ann Moo, a breast surgical oncologist at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, she said gaining breast self-awareness and early detection is key.
“The bigger basis of early detection is screening when you’re at the right age. For most women who are what we describe as ‘average risk’ for breast cancer, it’s starting at 40 — it’s basically a mammogram or an ultrasound yearly starting at 40. The hope is that we’ll find abnormalities or lumps in the breast before you even feel them,” said Dr. Moo.
Recent U.S. health reports have also confirmed testing should begin at age 40.
Dr. Moo also stressed that knowing your family history of cancer is crucial. If a member of one’s immediate family had breast cancer, testing for the disease is recommended ten years prior to the age they were when first diagnosed, according to Moo.
In the conclusion of her post, Abraira also urged her fans to stay on top of their regular checkups.
“For those who do not get health checks regularly, I urge you to,” she said. “Your life depends on it.”
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