Woman survives stage-3 breast cancer

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - "Some of the effects of cancer, I lost my hair, my eyebrows," said Averl Anderson- Jones, a breast cancer survivor.

Her fingernails are stained from chemotherapy, but on this day Averl Jones chooses to smile and look at the bright side of cancer.

In January she was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, stage three breast cancer.

"It was challenging, it was different , but it wasn't a death sentence," said Averl.

Her challenges with breast cancer could have been prevented.

Averl says she ignored a doctor's warning about calcium deposits that showed up in her mammogram five years ago.

At the time she was in her late 40's.

But, because she felt fine and looked like a picture of health she did nothing.

"And because I was so busy and because it didn't hurt, I was supposed to go to the doctor every six months diagnostic, and I never did," she explained.

Last year Averl started volunteering with Roswell's Witness Project a breast cancer prevention program that targets African-American women.

It ended up saving her life.

"I thank God for the Witness Project. If it wasn't for them I would've never got that mammogram," said Averl.

"African American women are often at higher risks of having a particularly more aggressive type of breast cancer," said Dr. Deborah Erwin, of the Witness Project.

Scientists are still trying to determine why black women under 50 are at a higher risk than white women for developing breast cancer.

Dr. Erwin oversees The Witness Project at Roswell, which offers free breast cancer screenings.

"This program will see them through the diagnosis, the treatment, the whole process," said Dr. Erwin.

Roswell's website is available here.

Witness project program: 845-3383