Bergeson Has Surgery for Breast Cancer

Orange County Supervisor Marian Bergeson underwent successful surgery for breast cancer Friday and issued a statement encouraging women not to postpone regular breast examinations as she had.

“As much as I knew about breast cancer, I was still in a bit of denial,” Bergeson said in a prepared statement. “I didn’t think it would happen to me. In fact, I resisted the examination, and only with the strong prompting of my family did I venture to the doctor’s office.

“Fortunately for me, my visit came at just the right time [and] my cancer was identified and removed quickly before it progressed to a more advanced level.”

Bergeson, 70, underwent a mastectomy at a Newport Beach hospital early Friday morning. She was released later in the day and was resting at home in good condition, her office staff members said.

According to Bergeson’s statement, she will spend the next few days at home recovering and is under doctor’s order “not to even think about the County of Orange, bankruptcy, or how much she’d rather be back at work than sitting home watching Oprah.”

Her colleagues on the board said they could handle the county’s business until she recovers.

“I wish her the best. I’m glad she found out about it early enough,” said Supervisor Don Saltarelli. “She’s a very strong woman, and I’m sure she’ll be back soon.”

Bergeson, who takes the stairs to her fifth-floor office and received the Capitol’s Fittest Legislator Award when she was a state senator, was diagnosed with breast cancer in late December. She underwent a lumpectomy in January. Her doctor later recommended that she have a mastectomy or undergo radiation treatment. She elected to have the surgery.

She is expected to recover completely from the cancer. She said Friday that she wanted to use her experience to help educate other women about the importance of regular breast examinations.

“If I could offer any suggestions to women and their families, it would be to go in and see their doctor for an initial exam, then stick with a schedule of routine exams after that,” she said.

She added: “Don’t wait as long as I did. . . . while my timing was terrific, it was also extremely lucky. There is much that we don’t know about breast cancer, but we do know that early detection is a critical factor in successful treatment.”

American Cancer Society officials estimate that 1,820 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in Orange County alone in 1996. About 335 breast cancer victims in the county will die this year, they predict.

Margaret Edwards, a spokeswoman for the Orange County chapter of the American Cancer Society, said that “the best defense against breast cancer is early detection and regular self breast examinations. . . . Most cancers, if caught early, are survivable.”

She said her organization recommends women examine their breasts once a month. Women between the ages of 20 and 40 should have breast examinations by a doctor at least every three years, while women 40 years or older should do that every year.

Additionally, women 40 to 49 years old should have a mammogram every one to two years. Women 50 and older should have one annually.

Edwards said women with a family history of breast cancer should be even more vigilant about regular and frequent breast examinations.

Anyone seeking more information about breast cancer examinations, treatments or support groups can contact the American Cancer Society at (714) 261-9446.