An Interview with Angela Hunt

Q: Some of the situations in this book are so detailed, I have to ask: Have you had breast cancer?

A: You’re not the first to ask. While I haven’t had breast cancer, I have had a suspicious lump cut out, so I’m acquainted with that anxious uncertainty and the coldness of the operating table.

Breast cancer has touched my life—my husband lost his mother to the disease, and my mother lost her best friend. At this moment, one of my friends has been given six months to live because her cancer has spread from her breast to her bones. But you know what? She’s living her life to the fullest, making preparation for her heavenly home-going and telling people about Jesus. When I look at her, I am filled with admiration and I think, You know…maybe time is the silver lining of cancer. We are all terminal in a sense, but cancer forces us to look at life from an eternal perspective.

Q: Are the protocols described in this book in common use?

A: Breast cancer treatment is an ever-changing field, but I owe tremendous thanks to Beth Delassandro, R.N., and Dr. Robert H. McCreary, professionals at the Florida Community Cancer Center in Clearwater, Florida. Not only did they allow me to come to the center, observe and ask questions, but they also reviewed the most recent edition of this book to make certain our treatments were as up-to-date as possible.

Q: What advice do you have for women who might be at high risk for breast cancer?

A: There are several situations that place women at higher risk for breast cancer: a family history, for instance, and never having given birth. The best advice for all of us in those categories (as well as for those who aren’t) is to perform monthly breast self-examinations and have an annual mammogram after age forty. The good news is that the breast cancer mortality rate is dropping. It is lower in 2006 than it was when I wrote this book in 1996.

If you find a breast lump in your monthly BSE, see your physician as soon as possible. The lump may be benign (mine was), but if it isn’t, the best weapon against breast cancer is early detection and treatment.

Q: Do you have any advice for the woman who is currently in treatment for breast cancer?

A: First, I’d urge her not to panic if her doctor’s treatment doesn’t conform to what she’s read in this book. Breast cancer treatment is an ever-changing field and protocols are personalized for each patient.

Second, I’d urge her to live life as fully as possible. None of us has a guarantee of tomorrow; all of us depend upon the Lord’s grace for each breath we inhale.

Finally, with every atom of my being I know this is true: God is sovereign over everything and everyone. The challenges you face are not bigger or stronger than God. He has brought you to this time, place and situation for reasons you may not understand, but He does. You can rest in that. You can trust Him with your past, present and future.

Q: And if your readers would like to reach you?

A: They can contact me through my Web page: www.angelahuntbooks.com. I’d love to hear from them.