February 22, 2018 • Local News
El Paso Times: KVIA's Estela Casas to be off air while she recovers from double mastectomy
Longtime Channel 7-KVIA news anchor Estela Casas will undergo a double mastectomy this week.
The surgery is the next phase in her treatment for the breast cancer diagnosis she received in September.
Casas, 56, is expected to take about four weeks off from the anchor desk while she recovers from the procedure. The surgery entirely removes both breasts and is often done on women who are at very high risk of getting a second cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
“I’ve cleared some hurdles, but I’m certainly not in the clear yet,” Casas said in a recorded news segment on KVIA Tuesday. She is also expected to have reconstructive surgery.
More: KVIA news anchor Estela Casas diagnosed with breast cancer
More: KVIA's Estela Casas completes chemo, to have double mastectomy
Casas said she has endured four months of chemotherapy and the treatment has worked, but the surgery will help doctors confirm whether the cancer has disappeared.
“It’s ups and downs and tears and laughter and joy and heartache and so many different emotions,” Casas said.
She had previously continued co-anchoring the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts through her treatment, missing a few days after her treatments.
More: KVIA News Channel-7 anchor Rick Cabrera announces he's leaving station
More: KVIA news anchor Estela Casas launches fund to help women battling breast cancer
The beloved Casas has publicly shared her journey battling cancer with the community. She also created the Stand With Estela Fund in September to raise money for breast cancer research and to help El Paso-area women who are battling breast cancer in partnership with the El Paso Community Foundation.
A native El Pasoan, Casas has anchored the news on KVIA for about 25 years.
Source: http://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2018/02/22/kvia-estela-casas-off-air-recovers-breast-cancer-double-mastectomy/358970002/
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