*In Tuesday’s second episode of the three part PBS series “Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies,” viewers were introduced to Dr. Lori Wilson, a cancer surgeon from Howard University Hospital who in June 2013 received a shocking diagnosis of her own.
The oncologist, wife and mother was found to have two different types of invasive breast cancer – one in each breast.
Wilson told Essence.com, “After I stopped breastfeeding one of my breasts did not go down, which is abnormal, so I got my mammogram. I was devastated when I got my diagnosis.”
Dr. Wilson, whose son was 18-months-old when she was diagnosed, opted for treatment at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore instead of her place of employment in DC, “since I was so known at Howard and just wanted to be a patient,” she explained to Essence. Also, “it was a closer trip to my house.”
She was approached about participating in the Ken Burns-produced series the day after her first appointment at Johns Hopkins to discuss treatment. She wasn’t so gung ho about it at first, but after thoughtful consideration and input from her husband, Dr. Wilson figured that her journey – which included a double mastectomy and an eventual cancer-free diagnosis – might serve as inspiration.
“When I look at the statistics, I should be winning the lottery,” Dr. Wilson told Essence. “Being a cancer surgeon, being a black woman in the United States diagnosed with two different types of breast cancer pre-menopausaly with an 18-month-old baby. There is probably not another woman like that.”
Not only did the cameras follow her private struggle at home, Johns Hopkins allowed them into the operating room while Dr. Wilson underwent her double mastectomy.
Below, director Barak Goodman gives praise to all of the participants who shared their personal trials and triumphs in the documentary.
“Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies” concludes tonight with Episode Three: Finding the Achilles Heel. The episode includes patients Doug Rogers, a 60-year-old NASCAR mechanic with melanoma, and Emily Whitehead, a six-year-old child with leukemia. Each is a pioneer in new immunotherapy treatments, which the documentary follows as their stories unfold.
In the below clip from Episode 2, Dr. Wilson and her husband host a small gathering of family and friends, and he shaves his head along with her.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
