Ongoing research highlights disparities in breast cancer | netnebraska.org

Ongoing research highlights disparities in breast cancer | netnebraska.org

n 2008, a routine mammogram for pastor and nurse Janet Goodman-Banks uncovered something suspicious. She was told she needed to see a radiologist. She did. It wasn’t long before she received the  follow-up phone call.
“…And I was asked to come back for more pictures," remembered Goodman-Banks.  "Me being a nurse, I was questioning that. After going back, the radiologist came in and talked to me afterward and stated she saw something that she just didn’t like. Immediately, the tears came and she had a nurse with her who was there comforting me and told me what my options were.”

Janet Goodman-Banks was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2008. She now works as breast cancer outreach nurse for the Malone Community Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Courtesy photo)

Following a second opinion and a biopsy, it was determined Goodman-Banks had not yet hit a “stage” of cancer, and only a lumpectomy would need to be performed around the tumor in her breast. She was relieved - at least until the weekend before her surgery. That’s when her nurse practitioner decided to take a second look at her chart.“She said something told her to go back and look at my chart-even though it was prepared and she was only there to catch up on other work- something told her to go back and look at my chart. And she did," said Goodman-Banks. "That’s when she discovered through the same pathology report that they had overlooked that the pathologist had indeed said I was a stage one.”