Community Corner

Annie's Story: Fighting Cancer Far from Home

A former Maryland resident, Annie Etonga has returned to receive treatment for a breast cancer diagnosis.

Annie Etonga’s journey began with the discovery of a lump in her breast.

Her husband was the first to notice. “He took my finger; he made me feel what he felt,” Etonga said.

Relief upon hearing the doctor’s diagnosis replaced worry on that day in February: It was a fibroadenoma, a benign (noncancerous) tumor. However, by June, the tumor had grown, and 31-year-old Etonga, who was living in Cameroon at the time, feared for her life.

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Further tests revealed that the 2-centimeter tumor in Etonga’s right breast was malignant.

Etonga, a graduate of  in Germantown and Morgan State University in Baltimore, said she spent half of her life in the U.S. Her father lives in Bowie, her sister in New Jersey. When she learned of her breast cancer diagnosis, she said she knew that her U.S. residency would afford her the latest treatment options.

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And so Etonga left her three young boys in the care of her mother, and she and her husband traveled to Maryland to fully embrace a journey they never expected to take.

The malignant tumor was confirmed at Howard County General Hospital, Etonga said. But with no health insurance, she had few options for treatment. It was the  that opened its doors to her — and two helpful, wonderful women, according to Etonga, are, in essence, her guardian angels.

“When she came to us, she had a story but no films, a pathology report from Cameroon in French, no tissue typing, no biopsy, and she was terrified,” said Mary Balkwill, RN, nurse navigator at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring.

Shelly Tang, the hospital's manager of minority and community outreach, said Etonga’s story was unique, recounting her plea for assistance: ‘Please help. I don’t know where to go.’” Tang added that Etonga, who is currently residing with her aunt in Silver Spring, was bounced around through the community. “[We] couldn’t pass her off anywhere else.”

Through Komen programs, women and men who are low-income, racially and ethnically diverse, uninsured, or underinsured receive breast cancer education, screening, links to treatment, navigation services, and follow-up care, Tang said. Working in tandem with the State of Maryland Breast and Cervical Cancer Diagnosis Treatment Program, eligible residents receive financial support for diagnosis and treatment services.

Balkwill said Etonga’s cancer — infiltrating ductal carcinoma — was found only through a mammogram. “K-CAMP provides a road map from education to screening to treatment to survivorship and beyond. About 20 percent of screenings turn into a diagnosis,” she said.

Etonga’s bald head is a testament to three months of chemotherapy, which was tailored to allow for possible future pregnancy. She said the tumor has shrunk to almost nothing. The first time her sons saw her bald head via Skype, during one of her frequent chats with her husband and children, Etonga said their mouths dropped. The boys, ages 1 to 3, now sport shaved heads to show solidarity.

“This whole experience — it just changes you. Your perspective in life is different. I just learn to appreciate everything that’s been given to me,” she noted.

The combination of Herceptin, an anti-cancer drug, and chemotherapy are considered by medical experts to greatly increase survival rates for those diagnosed with breast cancer. Etonga has endured the one-two drug punch with grace and appreciation. In November, she will have surgery to remove what’s left of the tumor, followed by approximately seven weeks of radiation.

Etonga is keenly aware of how fortunate she is to have the opportunity to receive excellent medical care. She also understands the importance of awareness as more and more younger women are diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Regardless of age, you have to be aware of your body. More and more women under 40 are coming up with breast cancer,” she said. “Be aware of the symptoms — be on the lookout. It’s never nothing. I guess that’s the mistake I made.”


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