Anita Monroe, 52, is vigilant about getting a mammogram every year. This year, it quite possibly saved her life.

In April, Anita went for her annual exam with gynecologist Dr. Eric Webb at OB-GYN Associates in Tupelo. As usual, she had her yearly mammogram as part of the visit. When the mammogram discovered something suspicious, Dr. Webb sent her to North Mississippi Medical Center’s Breast Care Center for further testing.

“When Dr. Webb called to give me the results from my biopsy, he said, ‘Nobody wants to get breast cancer, but if you have to have it, this is what you want to get,” Anita says. “I was fortunate to catch it as early as we did.”

While the stage of cancer was ideal, its timing was not. Anita had recently lost both her mother and her best friend. And in addition to working full-time in Information Technology Services at NMMC, she was taking college classes to complete her bachelor’s degree. “My initial thought was, ‘here’s something else,’” Anita says.

The next step was a consultation with Dr. Danny Sanders at the NMMC Breast and General Surgery Clinic. Because Anita’s cancer was found in an early stage and had not spread, Dr. Sanders and the Cancer Care team recommended a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy and a prescription hormone blocker.

“Kudos to North Mississippi Health Services for having everything I needed,” says Anita, who was able to continue working throughout her treatment. “I’m really grateful for the doctors and specialists we have right here.”

Anita says the support she received from other breast cancer survivors was extremely beneficial. She also participated in Camp Bluebird, a camp for adult cancer survivors. “Everyone’s case is different, but there’s consolation in talking to someone who has gone through it,” she says. “I read all the materials they gave me. It’s one thing to read about it, but it’s another to talk to someone who has gone through it.”

And while Anita knows firsthand that keeping your appointment isn’t always easy, it is imperative. “I strongly encourage women to get a mammogram,” she says. “I could’ve easily put it off this year. My breast cancer could’ve been missed and would have been worse.”