Serino completes radiation for cancer
State Sen. Sue Serino announced she has completed the last radiation treatment after revealing in July that she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.
On July 12, Serino, R-Hyde Park, said that she would undergo 20 rounds of radiation treatment following a successful lumpectomy to treat early-stage breast cancer.
Today, Senator Serino is sharing the news that she has successfully completed the last of her scheduled radiation treatments and is expressing her gratitude for the outpouring of support she has received since announcing her diagnosis.
Serino has talked openly about her diagnosis and treatment, in an effort to use her experience to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining routine health screenings, even during uncertain times.
“I have always been open and transparent with our community, but when it came to this personal experience, I felt it was even more important to talk about it publicly,” Serino said in a statement announcing the end to her treatment.
“I never thought twice about putting off my routine health screenings—especially my mammograms—always putting family and work first, and I knew I was not alone in that habit. My early diagnosis made all the difference in my course of treatment and served as a critically important reminder that we need to do all we can to ensure our loved ones are taking the time to schedule and follow through with their own health screenings.
“This experience has not been easy, but I am grateful to have the opportunity to be able to encourage others to make their own health a priority,” she said.
Serino was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ, a form of non-invasive breast cancer.
She underwent a successful lumpectomy on June 2, however the tumor had begun to spread before it was removed, so she underwent radiation treatments five days per week for four weeks July 13 through Aug. 7.
Serino is expected to have a follow-up scan in about six weeks to ensure that there is no trace of cancer remaining. She will update the community again following that scan.