An experimental imaging technique that may help with early cancer detection gave two breast cancer survivors more than just a detailed view of their bodies. Vitamin B12 imaging helped launch Deborah Evens of Blaine, Minn., and Gayla Holmgren of St. Cloud, Minn., on a journey towards health and friendship. Gayla's son Ryan and Deb's daughter Michelle had just started dating around Easter of 2000 when Deb discovered enlarged lymph nodes under her left arm. Since her mammogram and ultrasound of her left breast did not show any abnormality, Deb underwent a surgical biopsy of the lymph nodes. In the recovery room the doctors informed her that her lymph nodes were swollen due to breast cancer. Because the location of the tumor could not be found using mammography or ultrasound, they recommended a mastectomy. With no sign of a lump in the breast, she decided to search for other options. "I knew that a mastectomy was not what I wanted," says Deb, a hospice nurse, mother and grandmother. "Ryan had told Michelle and I about his mom's experience with breast cancer and her treatment at Mayo Clinic." Aid to Decision Making "Because I had experienced breast cancer firsthand, Michelle and Ryan asked me to call Deb," Gayla says. "That night we talked for 45 minutes, even though we had never met or spoken to each other before. Over the next week we talked frequently. At one point I mentioned my experience with B12 imaging and offered to call my physician at Mayo." Gayla had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998 in St. Cloud, but had decided to see specialists at Mayo Clinic for a second opinion. At the first appointment her physician told her that she was a candidate to participate in a clinical trial organized by Douglas Collins, M.D., a Mayo Clinic radiologist. Dr. Collins and a researcher from the University of Minnesota had developed a technique to attach radioactive atoms to Vitamin B12. Tumors need B12 in much greater quantities than do normal tissues. Vitamin B12 tagged with the diagnostic radioactive atom can be detected by a SPECT scan. This image identifies areas in the body that have absorbed the vitamin in higher-than-normal amounts. Using images taken after the Vitamin B12 injection, Dr. Collins pinpointed the location of the tumor in Gayla's breast. Surgeons then removed the cancerous lump rather than the full breast. At the time of Deb's diagnosis, Gayla had been cancer free for several years. "On April 17, 2000, I had an appointment with Dr. Collins, and the Vitamin B12 scan," Deb said. "Within half an hour of my B12 injection, Dr. Collins had located a small tumor in my left breast. I received such good care at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Collins and the team at Mayo are so supportive. They treat the whole person, taking time to talk and explain." The test showed no sign of cancer anywhere else in Deb's body. She had a lumpectomy at Mayo Clinic later that month and then received radiation and chemotherapy. Gayla and Deb met for the first time in January 2001 at an event that marked Deb's 50th birthday and the completion of her cancer treatment. "When Gayla came in my front door, we screamed and hugged each other. Even though we had never met, the bond was already so strong," says Deb. "It's helpful to talk to someone who understands and validates what you are feeling," adds Gayla. "We had been through a lot together." Round Two with the B12 Imaging Later in 2001, a follow-up mammogram revealed an area of distortion in the postoperative site of Gayla's first breast cancer. Had the cancer recurred? Traditional diagnostic imaging tools could not confirm the presence of cancer in Gayla's breast; multiple biopsies turned up nothing. The distortion in the mammogram made Gayla eligible for a second B12 scan, which showed that the cancer had returned. "I believed so strongly in Dr. Collins' Vitamin B12 research protocol that I decided to have a mastectomy," Gayla said. "Tissue samples from my surgery revealed the presence of early stage cancer. None of the other diagnostic tools had revealed anything. It's exciting to know that the B12 imaging had accurately detected cancer at such an early stage." Checkups since the mastectomy have shown no sign of cancer for Gayla. She and Deb have much in common and many reasons to celebrate. "Michelle and Ryan are now engaged to be married, and Dr. Collins is on the invitation list," Gayla says. "Our children have been so supportive, even participating in breast cancer awareness events, and Deb and I will soon be more than friends. We'll be mothers-in-law together, and maybe someday share grandchildren." "We've even been dress shopping together for the wedding," adds Deb. Source: Mayo Clinic Website http://www.mayoclinic.org/breast-cancer/debandgayla.html Posted here 4/07 (their article is undated) Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. 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