Surgery for Breast Cancer: 559 Real Stories
559 stories match breast cancer and surgery. 392 of them mention chemotherapy.
Stage II Breast Cancer: Marisol’s Survivor Story
Marisol found several large lumps in her right breast and was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. The diagnosis left her frightened, nervous, worried, and powerless. Following her doctor’s recommendation, she chose a plan that included mastectomy…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Tia’s Survivor Story
Tia’s breast cancer was discovered unexpectedly during a routine health examination more than 3 years before she shared her story. A mobile mammogram found a tumor even though she had no symptoms, and she was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. Tia sought a…
Read this storyStage 0 Breast Cancer: Fiona’s Patient Story
Fiona had no symptoms when a company-sponsored health check unexpectedly found stage 0 breast cancer. She had considered herself young and healthy, so the diagnosis was a shock despite being told that the cancer had been detected very early. Her doctors…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Rachael’s Patient Story
Rachael found a breast lump during a routine self-check and was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2021. She also noticed changes in the size and shape of the breast and irritation or dimpling of the skin. The diagnosis left her numb, resentful…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Tina’s Patient Story
Tina sought medical care after noticing discharge from her nipple and was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. The diagnosis brought fear, helplessness, worry, and grief. Her doctors recommended a lumpectomy, and she agreed to the surgery. Chemotherapy was…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Cherie’s Survivor Story
Cherie was 57 when she felt a hard lump in her breast. After receiving a stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis, she sought a second opinion from a more experienced doctor. She also researched her condition and found an estimated 85% 5-year survival rate for people…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Martha’s Survivor Story
Martha’s breast cancer was found during a regular examination after she experienced pain extending from her breast to her back, swelling, and a change in breast size. Her family history included a sister with breast cancer and a mother with liver cancer…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Ingrid’s Patient Story
Ingrid’s breast cancer was found during follow-up after an annual gynecology visit, when mammography showed a breast mass. An oncologist performed a biopsy and confirmed stage 2 breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy, lymphadenectomy, chemotherapy, and…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Shamala’s Survivor Story
Shamala found a small lump near her right breast and sought medical attention because it felt out of place. Testing led to a diagnosis of Stage II breast cancer. The diagnosis brought fear, sadness and a strong sense of helplessness, but she focused on what…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Vivienne’s Survivor Story
Vivienne noticed that something was wrong with her breast in February 2021, when it became engorged and her nipple inverted. She sought medical care, and the evaluation eventually led to a breast cancer diagnosis. The news left her frightened, worried…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Kelly’s Patient Story
Kelly was 41 when she shared her Stage III breast cancer experience. She had first noticed redness spreading across her right breast and was diagnosed in her mid-30s, around 2021. Her doctor discussed an estimated 5-year survival rate of 80%. The diagnosis…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Melissa’s Patient Story
Melissa, from Australia, initially thought pain and twinges around her ribs might be fractures. Her general practitioner ordered a chest X-ray and also suggested her first mammogram and breast ultrasound. The testing found stage 1 breast cancer in 2021. The…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Erika’s Patient Story
Erika, 47, scheduled a mammogram because both her mother and grandmother had breast cancer. Doctors found a mass in her right breast, and she was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer. The discovery made her angry, and the diagnosis left her numb and…
Read this storyStage II HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Kelsey’s Survivor Story
Kelsey was 45 when she noticed a lump in her left breast. Her family doctor referred her to the hospital for a mammogram, and she was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in 2021. Her record included HER2-positive disease, and trastuzumab was named because…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Aurora’s Patient Story
Aurora, 41, was pregnant in 2021 when half of her breast became hard. She was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer, a frightening and overwhelming experience that left her worried and powerless. She changed her diet after diagnosis and began eating…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Stella’s Patient Story
Stella sought evaluation after developing redness and flaky skin on her breast, especially because two maternal aunts had breast cancer. A mammogram led to a diagnosis of Stage I breast cancer. Fear, anxiety and worry were prominent at first, and she…
Read this storyStage III Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Barb’s Survivor Story
Barb’s invasive lobular breast cancer was found after a routine mammogram in November 2016. She had no symptoms and no family history of cancer, so she did not expect the call-back to become serious. Second-look imaging led to ultrasound and biopsy, which…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Tamara’s Survivor Story
Tamara Bumpus discovered a lump in her right breast in 2016 while undergoing testing before an elective procedure. A mammogram found the lump, and biopsy confirmed breast cancer. Genetic testing then revealed just how deep breast cancer ran through her…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Deborah’s Patient Story
Deborah Brown was 69 when a routine mammogram on March 2, 2020, found a suspicious area in her breast just as COVID-19 was beginning to shut down New York City. Follow-up ultrasound, bilateral mammogram and biopsy on March 17 confirmed Stage I breast cancer…
Read this storyStage IV Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Allison’s Patient Story
Allison Rebello was 36 when a mammogram in 2011 showed invasive ductal cancer in her right breast. Further testing also found cancer in the left breast. She underwent a right mastectomy with reconstruction and a left lumpectomy followed by 6 weeks of…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Pam’s Patient Story
Pam Benchley was 53, a triathlete, cyclist and fitness trainer, when she noticed inflamed skin on her left breast. A recent mammogram had not shown cancer, so she first thought the irritation came from a sports bra. A local doctor biopsied the area and found…
Read this storyStage II Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Jessica’s Survivor Story
Jessica Duemig was 32 when she woke with stabbing pain in her left breast and felt a small lump. At first, the lump was about the size of a pencil eraser, but within 1 month it had grown to the size of a large gumball. She decided to get it checked, and the…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Doris’s Patient Story
Doris learned in 2017 that she had breast cancer. The cancer was described as aggressive, and after months passed before she reached the hospital, she was told it had advanced to Stage IV and had metastasized to her lungs. Her doctor gave her an estimated 6…
Read this storyStage II HR-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Caitlin’s Patient Story
Caitlin J. was 29 when she found a lump in her breast and had to push for evaluation while uninsured. Planned Parenthood referred her for imaging, and a mammogram showed a mass. Biopsy results came back within 3 days and confirmed Stage IIB ER-positive…
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