News anchor Mary Nickles' own breast cancer is a teaching tool for television viewers

Courtesy photo/KUTV 2 Marketing Dept.

+ Enlarge

Mary Nickles (center), is part of the KUTV 2-News This Morning team on set with Debbie Worthen (left) and Ron Bird. Nickles announced she had breast cancer while doing a newscast.

SALT LAKE CITY — Mary Nickles, morning and noon anchor for KUTV Channel 2, broadcast her own mammogram in October to show viewers the importance of breast cancer screening, but the results saved her life. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and received a lumpectomy a week before Christmas.

"The story turned out more powerful because I ended up having cancer and now I can lead women through the process," said Nickles, a member of Saint John the Baptist Parish. "I had the mammogram thinking that by seeing how easy it was for me to do, others would follow through with a screening. The best news is that my doctor said their screening center has had tons of calls for women scheduling mammograms, and that’s what we were all hoping for."

Nickles’ mammogram detected a stage one, 1.3 centimeter tumor in her breast. Two lymph nodes were clear, but were grade 3 in invasiveness.

"The doctor said it’s ductal carcinoma," Nickles said adding that the words kept getting scarier: caught early, curable, ultrasound, biopsy, cancer, MRI, surgery, chemo, lumpectomy, possible mastectomy and radiation. "In my case, it’s invasive and can’t be treated with hormone attaching therapy, so I will have to have chemotherapy and radiation."

With the type of chemotherapy Nickles will have, she will lose her hair. Her older sister Toni has given her two wigs and a bag full of hats. "Toni went through chemo for a different kind of breast cancer three years ago," Nickles said. "She didn’t find her cancer until stage 3 and had a mastectomy, chemo and radiation, but she is doing well."

Nickles gets up at 2:30 a.m. weekdays to prepare for work and is looking forward to getting an extra half hour of sleep when she starts wearing a wig. She also is looking for eyelashes that won’t have to be applied every day.

Her chemotherapy treatments will begin Jan. 20, and she will have four treatments, one every three weeks. "We are going to shoot the first chemo treatment for a news story," Nickles said. "I have to do it before my hair is gone."

Viewers, friends and cancer survivors have sent their love and prayers to Nickles on Facebook. "I’m finding I have more friends than I ever imagined," she said. "I know the fight is mine, but it has boosted my spirits and confidence to find out I have a lot of friends in my corner with guidance, advice and moral support."

Nickles’ husband and twin son and daughter, immediate family and coworkers are going through this experience with her. "Coming from a big family and an athletic background, everything is a team," said Nickles. "My husband has been amazing and he is the best teammate and the best friend I’ve ever had. All along we’ve said, ‘We have a problem; how are we going to fix it?’ He says I’m the one carrying everybody because I have a good attitude. The kids know the steps along the way are going to be tough, but we’ll get through it."

Nickles’ faith also plays a part. "As a family we don’t shout or make a big deal of our faith, but it’s there," she said. "It’s one of those intangibles that keeps us strong as a team. Our commitment to each other, the future for our kids and our community are all part of our faith. I’ve had great support and prayers from the parish family as well.

"I hope I am one of those who keeps going," Nickles said. "I am really determined to keep my life and activities as normal as possible through everything that’s to come."