Radiation for Breast Cancer: 373 Real Stories
373 stories match breast cancer and radiation. 346 of them mention surgery.
Stage III Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Nikki’s Patient Story
Nikki, a 47-year-old mother and teacher, had already survived a rare cancer before her breast cancer diagnosis. In 2016, while breastfeeding her long-awaited son, a doctor reviewed years of bowel and IBS-like complaints and investigated further. That workup…
Read this storyStage III HER2-Positive Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Nikki’s Patient Story
Nikki first noticed sharp pain around her right nipple in August 2022. Because there was no lump and she had been told that cancer usually did not hurt, she attributed it to menopause. By late November, her nipple had become completely inverted. A biopsy and…
Read this storyInvasive Lobular Carcinoma: Lucinda’s Patient Story
Lucinda Rudolph was 68 when an annual breast cancer screening in April 2020 led to a frightening local assessment. She had been treated for breast cancer 10 years earlier with lumpectomy and radiation, and this new cancer was initially described as…
Read this storyStage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Cynthia’s Survivor Story
Cynthia Jordan had normal mammograms for 13 years and no symptoms, even while a walnut-sized tumor was growing in her breast. She had dense breasts but had not been educated about what that meant or why supplemental screening could matter. In 2018, a…
Read this storyStage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Cynthia’s Survivor Story
Cynthia Jordan never missed her annual mammogram, but dense breast tissue made her cancer difficult to find. In 2018, a mammogram showed an architectural distortion, and follow-up imaging and biopsy led to a diagnosis of Stage IIB invasive ductal carcinoma…
Read this storyStage III Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Neda’s Survivor Story
Neda was 48 and living in Seattle when her breast cancer journey began. In April 2020, she felt a large lump in her left breast. Mammography and ultrasound did not show cancer, and she received a letter noting dense breast tissue and recommending another…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Sarah’s Patient Story
Sarah McDonald was 44 and pursuing fertility treatment with her husband when she received 2 unrelated cancer diagnoses within 2 months. The first was incurable salivary gland cancer, found after she noticed a lump in the floor of her mouth after a deep teeth…
Read this storyStage III HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Sarah’s Survivor Story
Sarah McDonald was 44 when she was diagnosed with 2 unrelated cancers within 2 months. Surgery for a rare salivary gland cancer prompted her to re-examine a breast lump first noticed 6 years earlier. Annual mammograms had not shown a clear problem because she…
Read this storyStage III HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Christine’s Survivor Story
Christine Elliott was 31 when she noticed a large, hard, fixed breast lump while lying in bed. She had also felt tired, pale, stressed, and increasingly anxious, but the visible divot and the lump made her seek care. Imaging, biopsy, and MRI showed Stage III…
Read this storyStage IV HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Abigail’s Patient Story
Abigail Myers was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2014, just over a year after the birth of her son. Testing showed triple-positive disease, with estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors. Her initial treatment included a double mastectomy, radiation…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Renée’s Patient Story
Renée first had cancer at 18, when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Treatment had to move too quickly for fertility preservation, and she was told it would likely cause infertility. She received intensive chemotherapy, total-body radiation, and…
Read this storyTriple-Negative Breast Cancer: Lucy’s Survivor Story
Lucy E. was diagnosed with grade 3 triple-negative breast cancer 3 days after her 24th birthday. She had found a breast lump and pushed for biopsy even after being told it was likely fibrous tissue. She already knew she carried a BRCA1 mutation, which made…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Anne’s Patient Story
Anne, 53, learned she had Stage II breast cancer in September 2023 after a mammogram showed an abnormality that needed more testing. She was already working in Taoyuan, so she completed additional tests at another hospital. After researching her diagnosis…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Gayna’s Survivor Story
Gayna, 57, first noticed flattening on the underside of her left breast. That change led her to seek medical advice, and she was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. She felt relatively neutral when she first received the news, but the diagnosis still pushed…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Maiv’s Patient Story
Maiv noticed a slightly raised area and then dimpling in her left breast while losing weight. She contacted her general practitioner quickly and was referred for examination, mammography, ultrasound, and biopsy. About two weeks later, in approximately June…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Annie’s Patient Story
Annie, 48, was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in July 2023 after finding a lump in her breast. Her doctor told her the estimated 5-year survival rate was 98%, but the diagnosis still brought worry, fear, grief, vulnerability, and resentment. She…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Grace’s Patient Story
Grace, 67, discovered her breast cancer through a routine mammogram in July 2023. She had been going for mammograms every 2 years, and this one revealed something unexpected. The diagnosis was Stage II breast cancer. Grace felt empty, confused, disillusioned…
Read this storyStage I Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Tracy’s Patient Story
Tracy was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer after a routine mammogram found the disease before she had noticed any symptoms. She later identified her diagnosis as triple-negative breast cancer. The news initially left her feeling relatively neutral, but…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Margaret’s Patient Story
Margaret, a mother of two from Ireland, noticed a large breast lump that appeared almost overnight, together with itching. She was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. Although the news was difficult, she tried to remain optimistic and hopeful. Her…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Patricia’s Survivor Story
Patricia was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in May 2023 after her first NHS mammogram led to a biopsy. She had experienced no symptoms and described the mammogram as lifesaving. The diagnosis brought sadness and fear. Patricia underwent a mastectomy…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Transito’s Survivor Story
Transito was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer after seeking medical evaluation because her sister had cancer. She had not noticed symptoms beforehand. The diagnosis brought fear, sadness, nervousness, worry, isolation, and loneliness. Her doctors…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Hu’s Patient Story
Hu Jia, from Taiwan, discovered she had breast cancer in June 2023 after an unusual sequence of events. Her cat kept sniffing her, and about a month later a lump appeared in the swollen area. The diagnosis was confirmed at the hospital and was found at Stage…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Lan’s Patient Story
Lan sought medical care after finding a hard, painful breast lump and was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. Her doctor discussed a 90% five-year survival estimate. The diagnosis brought fear, grief, confusion, and a sense of vulnerability. Lan underwent…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Rose’s Patient Story
Rose sought medical attention after finding a lump on her chest and was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer. The diagnosis left her feeling nervous, worried, isolated and powerless. She researched her options and chose to follow the treatment plan developed…
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