Radiation for Breast Cancer: 373 Real Stories
373 stories match breast cancer and radiation. 346 of them mention surgery.
Stage II Breast Cancer: Jaidive’s Survivor Story
Jaidive was 44 when she was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in 2020. She had lost both her maternal grandmother and mother to cancer, so finding a suspicious breast mass through self-examination was frightening. A breast cancer specialist confirmed the…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Serena’s Patient Story
Serena had no suspicious symptoms when a mammogram detected her cancer. She went on to have breast-conserving surgery with a lumpectomy, lymph node removal and radiation therapy, following her doctor’s recommendation. She is now undergoing hormone therapy…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Catherine’s Survivor Story
Catherine, 55, was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in 2020 after finding a lump. Cancer had already affected her family, including an aunt, uncle, and grandfather, so the diagnosis brought intense fear. Her doctor told her the estimated 5-year survival…
Read this storyStage I BRCA Breast Cancer Patient Story
N had no breast symptoms when her family doctor recommended mammography after menopause. Her mother had experienced breast cancer, although N reported no inherited BRCA finding. Extra mammogram images and an urgent ultrasound led to a direct diagnosis of…
Read this storyStage III Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Vanessa’s Survivor Story
Vanessa Sanders had worked at MD Anderson for less than 1 year when she became a patient herself. She had felt a small lump in her left breast for years, but it had not bothered her. Then sharp chest pains began, sometimes so intense that they felt like labor…
Read this storyStage I Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Suzanne’s Patient Story
Suzanne Kulliver had only just completed treatment for colon cancer when a routine annual mammogram in December 2015 led to another major diagnosis. Her doctor requested an ultrasound and biopsy, and Suzanne learned that she had breast cancer. The tumor was…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Margaret’s Survivor Story
Margaret was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in December 2015 after changes in her left breast were easy to explain away at first. In late 2014, she noticed that her nipple was inverting and that the breast seemed to be shrinking. She was training for…
Read this storyStage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Margaret’s Survivor Story
Margaret’s fuller treatment story starts with the same breast changes she first noticed in late 2014: an inverted nipple and shrinking appearance in the left breast. A standard mammogram did not clearly show cancer, but a later 3D mammogram found the tumor…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Diana’s Patient Story
Diana Stork was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2016 and received daily radiation treatment at Dana-Farber. As a social scientist who had spent much of her career studying interpersonal behavior and organizational culture, she found herself closely…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Kathryn’s Survivor Story
Kathryn first noticed swelling between her breasts, changes in breast shape, and irritation in 2019. After seeking medical advice, she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. The diagnosis left her frightened, overwhelmed, isolated, and worried about what…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Carole’s Survivor Story
Carole, 63, is a breast cancer survivor from the United Kingdom. She was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in 2019 after noticing dimpled skin and a small lump around her breast. She did not have other symptoms, so those visible breast changes were what…
Read this storyStage II HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Cath’s Survivor Story
Cath, 63, was diagnosed with Stage II luminal A breast cancer in May 2019 after a routine 2-yearly mammogram led to more imaging and a biopsy. She had no symptoms, and the cancer was described as ER-positive, PR-positive, and HER2-negative. At first she felt…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Eliza’s Patient Story
A routine mammogram identified a suspicious finding that led to Eliza's diagnosis of stage 2 breast cancer. She initially felt helpless, overwhelmed, frightened, and worried about what lay ahead. Her doctors recommended a lumpectomy, radiation therapy, and…
Read this storyStage III Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Mary’s Survivor Story
Mary, a retired woman living in Ireland, was diagnosed with stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer in September 2019. She sought medical help after feeling unusual soreness and discomfort during floor exercises in a yoga class. The diagnosis was especially…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Ana’s Survivor Story
Ana was 47 when she noticed a lump in her left breast while showering. Part of the nipple also pulled inward and retracted again when she tried to move it. When referral through her health insurer was taking too long, she sought help from a nonprofit…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Magnolia’s Survivor Story
Magnolia, from Colombia, was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer after noticing a hard breast mass. Her menstrual periods had stopped at age 45, and the symptoms developed over several months before she sought medical care. The diagnosis left her…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Joyce’s Survivor Story
Joyce McCain, 65, was diagnosed with breast cancer after a mammogram found a mass in her left breast. A follow-up mammogram, immediate ultrasound and biopsy confirmed cancer. After reviewing options, she chose a lumpectomy, a breast-conserving surgery that…
Read this storyStage I Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Julie’s Patient Story
Julie Martin had recently received a normal mammogram when her sister called to say she had stage 2 breast cancer. Because Julie also had dense breast tissue, the new family history prompted her to return to her doctor and request additional testing. Imaging…
Read this storyStage III BRCA2 Breast Cancer: Ashley’s Survivor Story
Ashley was 28 when she was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in January 2017. At the time, she was nursing her youngest child and initially thought the lump in her right breast was a clogged milk duct. Her biggest concern after diagnosis was how cancer…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Michael’s Patient Story
Michael Johnston was diagnosed with male breast cancer in 2009. His treatment included surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, all within a single calendar year. After going through that intensive period of care, he made a personal commitment to increase…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Tonya’s Survivor Story
Tonya, a radiographer and mother of two, was living in Ireland when a routine mammogram led to a same-day biopsy. She received the biopsy result 3 days later and learned that she had breast cancer. Tonya first chose lumpectomy after her doctor recommended…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Ana’s Survivor Story
Ana, 51, was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer after an unexpected workup. She had no family history of cancer and wanted a second opinion because she felt her first doctor had not given her enough information. She also described noticing blood from the…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Jacquelyn’s Patient Story
Jacquelyn noticed a suspicious change during a breast self-examination and sought medical care. She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Her doctors recommended mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, and she followed the plan. Although she felt…
Read this storyHER2-Positive Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Trish’s Patient Story
Trish Vickery learned in 2013 that she had inflammatory breast cancer, a diagnosis that carried particular weight because her mother had died from the same disease. At age 58, Trish described coming to Dana-Farber as one of the luckiest decisions of her life…
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