Former SKE48 member Yakata Miki had a mastectomy and lymph node removal

Former SKE48 member and former Team S leader Yakata Miki (25) posted on her official blog and wrote about having breast cancer and she had a mastectomy (her left breast was removed) and her post-surgery biopsy shown that her lymph node also had to be removed.

Yakata went through examinations back in December and she was found to have breast cancer.

According to the National Breast Cancer Organization, “Although breast cancer is not easily controlled, the spread of breast cancer is sometimes predictable. The cancer cells spread through a customary path, out from the tumor and into the surrounding lymph nodes, before they progress throughout the body. The sentinel lymph node (and in some cases there are several grouped together) is the first node “downstream” from the cancer in the lymph circulatory system. If the cancer were to travel away from the breast tumor and into the lymphatic system, this node would be the first one to show evidence of breast cancer. During surgery, the nearest lymph nodes will be removed and checked for the presence of cancer cells.”

Yakata wrote, “I am feeling surprisingly fine, although I do have post-operation pain but I managed to leave the hospital safely.  Because of the removal of the lymph node, it is difficult to raise my left arm from the shoulder up. But as I rehabilitate one day at time, I want to heal quickly”.

Yakata will resume work for the radio program on ZIP-FM where she was a program assistant before she received medical treatment.

Yakata also wrote, “I think that there will be a lot of things I will need to overcome in the future, but there are many things I still want to do! So, I will keep moving forward and I thank you for your continued support”.

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