Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates
Sally Caroline YatesLawmakers call for investigation into alleged harassment, abuse in women’s soccer Sally Yates to investigate sexual abuse in women’s soccer league Sally Yates: I never thought that I’d be saying, ‘Yeah, go Liz Cheney’ MORE revealed a battle with breast cancer battle in an op-ed with CBS News on Thursday.
Yates said she found out in 2020 she had invasive papillary cancer, a rare form of breast cancer.
She said the cancer was found early and was not growing quickly, stating that after “a double mastectomy, my prognosis is excellent.”
Yates took the opportunity while opening up about her breast cancer battle to highlight the importance of yearly mammograms and the health disparities that occurred during the pandemic.
“Each year, approximately 280,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with breast cancer. Many of those women are not as fortunate as I was. I had access to top-notch medical care and paid sick leave — benefits that, for many, are absolute necessities during a health crisis,” Yates said.
“The pandemic has significantly magnified shameful health disparities. People with unstable or low income, and particularly people of color, suffer worse survival rates for cancer as well as COVID-19,” she added.
The coronavirus pandemic caused cancer screenings and testing for millions of people in the U.S. to be canceled which impacted a person’s ability to discover an issue like cancer in part due to the overcrowding of hospitals by COVID-19 patients.
Yates was able to go to her yearly mammogram last year, where her diagnosis was discovered.
“Whether one can access early detection methods and treatment — essentially, whether one lives or dies — shouldn’t depend on one’s race, ethnicity, zip code or bank account,” Yates said.
“I’m a pretty private person when it comes to my personal life. But, whether you have a public platform or a small circle of friends, the cancer stakes are too high for the luxury of privacy,” she added.
Yates will appear on “CBS Evening News” with Norah O’Donnell Friday to further discuss her battle with breast cancer.
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