By Kerry Lester

Pam and Steve Haschke of Arlington Heights, seen here on vacationin 2005.

Imagine a husband who is at your side for most of your treatments, takes charge of preparing all meals, and even wears a pink tutu in support of breast cancer. Steve Haschke happily does all of this for his wife, Pam.

The Haschkes of Arlington Heights have been married for eight years. Pam is a Citibank product development marketing manager, and Steve works for Yellow-Roadway Corp. as a dock/spotter. "We met through a mutual friend," Steve said. After meeting for an initial, "no pressure" pancake breakfast, the couple "hit it off right awayówe were married a year and a half later," he said.

Things changed in May 2004 when Pam first noticed some swelling in her left breast. "My gynecologist thought it was odd, and said we'd try antibiotics for one week and see if it got better," she said. "It didn't." After an ultrasound and punch needle biopsy, she was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), an advanced and accelerated form of the disease.

Often misdiagnosed as a benign breast infection termed mastitis, IBC is difficult to diagnose, and treatment is often delayed, resulting in low survival rates.

Rather than growing as a solid tumor, IBC grows in sheets or nests, often causing the cancer to spread throughout the body without a detectable lump. Instead, the cancer is located in the dermal lymphatic system, a part of the immune system which protects the body against disease and infection. Cancer cells there clog lymph vessels just below the skin.

Because there is no defined tumor, inflammatory breast cancer is not usually detected by mammogram or ultrasound exams. A skin biopsy, core needle biopsy, MRI or PET scan often work as valuable diagnostic tools.

"I recall distinctly that I almost fainted in the doctor's office," Steve remembered. "We were both so sure that this wasn't cancer. We were incredibly grateful that someone as good as the gynecologist had caught the cancer, and started her recovery process so quickly."

Pam began her treatment of sixteen weeks of dose dense chemotherapy every two weeks at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights. A modified radical mastectomy near Thanksgiving of 2004 brought encouraging results when only two of six lymph nodes tested positive with microscopic evidence of the disease. Thirty-five radiation therapy sessions were completed by March of 2005.

"Steve was my rock," Pam said. "I became very dependent on him."

At Pam's side for many of her treatments, Steve also took charge of all cooking and household chores.

"Chemotherapy really limited my eating choicesóhe was really patient about it," she said.

Cancer-free for a year and a half, Pam knows the cancer can still come back.

"I see my doctor every three months to keep an eye out for any recurrence," she said.

The Haschkes also decided to tackle the disease from another angle, combining Steve's longtime passion for running with fundraising for those facing breast cancer. Pink Streak is the Y-ME Illinois LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon Team, whose runners also make a fundraising commitment to support the Illinois Affiliate of Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization. Since its' 2003 beginning, the group has grown from 38 to nearly 100 Chicago Marathon runners per year.

"Pink Streak appealed to us because it was something where we could strongly advocate for survivorship," she said. "Until a cure is found, we want to help the women that have to go through cancer."

A member of Schaumburg running club Team Caffeine for the past 15 years, Steve is a veteran competitor in road races of various distances, duathlons and triathlons. This year's Chicago Marathon will be his eighth 26.2 mile race.

Pink Streak members are asked to raise a minimum of $750. However, the Haschkes have committed to raise $1000, and are hoping to beat that. They are planning a garage sale with the proceeds going towards the organization.

Steve is also giving friends and family plenty of incentive to donate.

"In addition to wearing the Pink Streak pink singlet that we're given, I've promised friends I'd wear other pink items including pink shorts and a pink tutu if they donated certain amounts of money," he said. "It's all about jumping through whatever hoops I need too to raise the money."

As a marathon runner and fundraiser, Steve has been able to better understand the process of getting through a long-term illness.

"I always think about this," he said. "Like the marathon training, individuals fighting a disease like breast cancer go through a number of stages. You go through a certain amount of suffering, but there is a huge payoff at the endóthe finish. It's a neat thing."

Marathon running has also helped Steve to better understand the importance of support, and having a goal in mind. "During the race, you get so much emotional support. Knowing you're helping by fundraising gets you through that grueling, four hour increment."

Pam will also take a part in the marathon. "I'll be helping out at the Y-ME Illinois water tent this year, right around the Lincoln Park Zoo," she said.

Pam's bout with IBC has made the Haschkes live a more spontaneous lifestyle, as they try to make the most out of each day together. "Through her battle with IBC, we've even closer," Steve Haschke said. "You see a different part of someone when they go through an illness like this and it makes you appreciate them even more."

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