Dr. Nancy Corbin has learned to appreciate life to the fullest after facing a life-threatening illness.

A little over a year ago, Corbin, a psychologist with Student Counseling Services, was diagnosed with breast cancer. The news came only two months after her hiring at ISU.

She underwent chemotherapy for three months to treat the cancer.

“Much to my surprise, I was able to continue working through much of my chemotherapy,” she said. “It was a relief for me to be able to do that, being able to continue with kind of a normal life.”

At the time, Corbin wasn’t sure how the treatment would affect her.

“I really am grateful to my colleagues for being able to help me with that,” she said. “With their help, I was really able to stay on top of my new job.”

Being a psychologist gave Corbin an interesting perspective to the feelings that surrounded her life-threatening diagnosis.

“Having an understanding of how people respond to trauma reminded me that what I was feeling was normal, but I still had to go through the feelings just like anybody else,” she said.

Corbin found a support group in the Ames area, primarily for women diagnosed with breast cancer who are in the process of treatment or recovery, at the Mary Greeley Medical Center, 111 Duff Ave.

“It provides education and gives information about the disease and treatment,” she said. “[The group] also responds to the emotional needs of the patients.”

The support group also deals with practical issues such as wigs and nutrition. Family members of those diagnosed with breast cancer are also invited to attend the meetings.

The McFarland Clinic, 1215 Duff Ave., also offers support groups for breast cancer patients.

Tammy Gibb, senior in community health education, has worked at the Mary Greeley Medical Center for six years and in the cancer registry for the past year. She researches all cancer cases that go through Mary Greeley Medical Center, including breast cancer.

Gibb said breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the cases she sees. Out of almost 800 patients diagnosed with some type of cancer at Mary Greeley each year, Gibb estimates about 200 are breast cancer cases.

Gibb said breast cancer is divided into four stages, one being the most curable and four being the most advanced.

“Once you’re a stage four, it’s relatively a low prognosis for a five-year survival rate,” she said.

Gibb said early detection is the key to overcoming breast cancer.

“The earlier you find it, the less likely you are to be a higher stage and the more likely you are to be cured,” Gibb said.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, during which activists nationwide are drawing attention to the disease and the importance of early discovery. Corbin said breast cancer is a very treatable disease, particularly when detected early in its stages.

“I think that one of the things that women need to understand is that mammograms and regular self-examination are not just important, they are life-saving,” she said. “It’s really important to do those things with regularity so anything abnormal will show up.”

Corbin said more than 85 percent of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer survive past the five-year mark. She said she hopes women will start doing regular self-examinations at a young age so they know what is normal for their bodies.

Gibb agreed that regular self-examinations are important. “If you do it every month, you really know what normal feels like.”

Many times when women find a lump they are too scared to go to the doctor for fear that it might turn out to be cancer, Gibb said. However, it’s important to see a doctor right away because waiting can only decrease the chances of successful treatment.

“There are tons of little things [a lump] could be, but it’s just best to get it checked out,” she said.

Gibb said breast cancer is more likely in older women, but anyone with a family history of breast cancer needs to take special precautions, including yearly mammograms starting at a younger age.

“It’s a pretty low incidence for women under 30, but the ones who have a history of breast cancer in their family need to be careful,” Gibb said.

More than a year after being diagnosed with breast cancer, Corbin is fully recovered and able to look back on the experience through a new perspective. Facing a life-threatening illness has allowed her to make some changes in both lifestyle and attitude.

“I really try to take a slower pace. I enjoy the moment,” she said. “Little things don’t bother me as much.”

Corbin said she has also developed a new appreciation for her friends and family.

“I think my priorities about life have changed,” she said. “I think that certainly staying connected with friends and family is a higher priority for me now, and also staying connected with other cancer survivors.”

Living with a life-threatening illness gave Corbin the ability to find humor in almost any situation. Corbin’s advice to anyone who is diagnosed with cancer or knows someone with cancer is “not to lose hope.”

“I think that the treatment options are extensive, and there’s much advancement that has been made in cancer treatment,” she said.