WELLNESS & WELL-BEING
DOUBLE WHAMMY
RAYLENE HOLLRAH
Being diagnosed with breast cancer is not an easy thing to take in. But
subsequently being diagnosed with a second type of cancer brought on
by the implants inserted after your mastectomy is even harder.
For Raylene Hollrah, the breast cancer was a surprise – no doubt
about it. She was only 33. But stunned is a better description of how she
felt when she was told she had an unrelated, different kind of cancer:
breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. That was
2013, and it wasn’t until more recently that even many physicians have
become aware of the cancer risks associated with implants.
The Food and Drug Administration had reported a “possible
association between saline and silicone gel-filled breast implants,” but
it was so rare, that it was somewhat unknown. Most cases have involved
implants with a textured (rather than smooth) surface, which is believed
may cause inflammation that leads to cancer.
Hollrah, of Hermann, Missouri, went to MD Anderson Hospital in
Houston, at her doctor's recommendation. Her implants and surrounding
tissue were removed. She did not receive chemotherapy or radiation
because tests found no spread of the cancer. As of July, she will be five
years lymphoma-free. In April, she was 11 years breast cancer-free.
To increase awareness of the association of lymphoma and breast
implants, Hollrah formed Just Call Me Ray, to help educate women.
“Whether a woman had cancer or not is not the issue. It is just if she
has implants," Hollrah said. “It’s a 50-50 shot. Just because I had cancer
before didn’t increase my risk of getting lymphoma.
“I didn’t know that it was even a possibility to develop cancer from
my implants,” she said. “I’m not saying that women shouldn’t get them –
absolutely not. I just believe they need to know that there is a risk.”
Along with owning two insurance offices – one in Hermann, and one
in Warrenton, Missouri - she continues her work to increase awareness.
She testified at the FDA in Maryland in May and November of last year.
She even landed on the front page of The New York Times on May 15,
2017, where she shared her story.
“Though the risk is slight, the numbers continue to rise. Women
need to be aware and make their own decisions. Knowledge is power
when it comes to your health and body,” Hollrah said.
“Every day is a gift. I have lived the best years of my life since my
first diagnosis,” she said. “I have learned to live life between doctor's
checkups, and when I leave my oncologist’s office, I do just that. Now,
I’m up to one year in-between appointments.”
For more information on Hollrah’s foundation, visit justcallmeray.org.
SAVVY I SOPHISTICATED I SASSY
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