West Jordan woman is Betty Crocker face of cancer survival

SALT LAKE CITY — Susan Thomson wasn't sure she was ready to be a celebrity, but the West Jordan woman who survived a tough bout with breast cancer decided she'd take the challenge when she realized she could help other women facing the same fight.

Thomson's face is now featured on Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffin Mix boxes, which will be distributed to 2,400 Kroger stores in 31 states.

Her tale of coping and survival is part of the "Giving Hope a Hand" breast cancer awareness program sponsored by Smith's Food & Drug stores, which are part of the Kroger corporate family. A portion of the sales revenue from the mixes is intended to help Susan G. Komen chapters and the American Cancer Society.

Smith's, along with other Kroger divisions and many of its suppliers, plan to put specially marked tags on 1,800 products in their stores to promote the cause.

The end goal?

Raising $3 million to fund breast cancer research and other programs related to the potentially deadly disease.

"One woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes, and one woman will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes in the U.S.," according to Joel Kincart, central region vice president of the American Cancer Society.

The good news is that breast cancer deaths have gone down in recent years.

"This is a little overwhelming," the soft-spoken Thomson said Thursday, surrounded by cameras and reporters, as the muffin mix boxes were unveiled at the Smith's Marketplace at 455 S. 500 East in Salt Lake City. "But if I can help someone else, that's a good thing."

In 2005 Thomson had a mammogram that looked fine, but her own monthly self-exam felt odd somehow, as if there was a lump in one breast. She went back to the doctor for more tests and, sure enough, there was a lump.

It was malignant. She had stage 2 cancer.

"It was a real surprise when I got the diagnosis," Thomson said. "There is no history of this in my family, but you can't take anything for granted."

There were a couple of hopeful signs — her cancer was detected early, and it had not spread to her lymph nodes.

What followed were two surgeries, six months of chemotherapy and then 33 radiation treatments. She also had to take follow-up medication for five years.

"I'm almost to the end of that (the medication regimen) and things look good medically," Thomson said. "I'm optimistic about the future."