Stage III triple-negative breast cancer survivor: Pay attention to your body

I exercise regularly, eat pretty well and maintain a healthy body weight. With the possible exception of 2020 — that first awful year of the COVID-19 pandemic — I also get annual mammograms. I started doing that as soon as I was eligible at age 40, and I have gotten one exactly when I’m supposed to ever since.

So, I was in total shock when I was diagnosed with stage III triple-negative breast cancer in November 2023.

My triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis 

I discovered I had breast cancer almost by chance. I frequently listen to podcasts on health and fitness, and I was listening to one about breast cancer prevention during a walk in September 2023. The featured experts that day were discussing breast awareness. When I got home, I decided to examine my own breasts.

Much to my surprise, I felt a lump on the left side. I had just had a screening mammogram not six months earlier, and it detected nothing. Cancer doesn’t run in my family, and I had no other symptoms. So, I thought it was just a cyst. 

But a couple of weeks later, the lump was still there. My husband could feel it, too. I was starting to get worried, so I went to a doctor. She recommended a diagnostic mammogram, which revealed an abnormality. Next, she recommended a breast biopsy. The results showed it was cancer. Further testing revealed that it was triple-negative. 

That’s when I turned to UT MD Anderson. 

Finding hope at UT MD Anderson

I chose UT MD Anderson for my breast cancer treatment strictly for its reputation. With a rare cancer, I knew it was more important than ever to go to a facility that encountered this type of cancer frequently. I also knew several people who had been treated there and were very happy with their care. 

Even so, I have never been more anxious than I was that first week. UT MD Anderson does its own testing to confirm your diagnosis before starting treatment. Mine revealed that the cancer had already spread to five nearby lymph nodes — four in my armpit and one in my chest. That meant the cancer could be in other places, too. I was trying very hard not to panic. 

Fortunately, breast medical oncologist Dr. Oluchi Oke told me that the cancer did not appear to be anywhere else. The cancer was also in a small enough area that her ultimate goal was to cure me. Hearing that gave me such a sense of hope. I was incredibly relieved.

My triple-negative breast cancer treatment

Because my breast cancer was triple-negative, Dr. Oke recommended starting treatment with a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. After that, I’d need a mastectomy and finally, a course of radiation therapy.

I didn’t want to lose my left breast entirely, so I asked if I could have a lumpectomy instead. Surgical oncologist Dr. Matthew Piotrowski and I discussed it, and he agreed, as long as I responded well to the initial treatment.  

I started receiving the chemo/immunotherapy combination at UT MD Anderson The Woodlands in December 2023. By the time I finished in May 2024, only 1% of the cancer was left alive. But because I hadn’t had a complete pathological response, Dr. Oke ordered a different chemotherapy agent called capecitabine added to the immunotherapy. I took those for about six more months.

Dr. Piotrowski performed the lumpectomy and flap reconstruction in July at UT MD Anderson’s Texas Medical Center Campus. Plastic surgeon Dr. Jonathon Olenczak did a lymphovenous bypass at the same time to reduce my chances of lymphedema. After that, I completed five weeks of radiation at UT MD Anderson West Houston under Dr. Elizabeth Bloom.

What I tell my friends now

Today, I am doing really well. I still have a little tightness in my left arm, but no lymphedema. And the scans at my last checkup were all clear. Now, the only real side effect I have left to deal with is the constant fear of recurrence.

I’m a little haunted by the fact that my last mammogram was clear, just six months before my diagnosis. I live a healthy lifestyle and got all my screenings when I was supposed to, yet I still developed a stage III tumor in a very short time. The only thing that prompted me to see a doctor was the lump — and that, I only detected because of a podcast I happened to listen to.

That’s why I tell my friends now to pay close attention to their bodies — and not wait to seek help if they notice anything unusual. If you’re questioning something, go ahead and get it checked out. As I learned, you can still get cancer, even if you are otherwise healthy.

Request an appointment at UT MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.