Breast Cancer: Faye's Patient Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- radiation
Treatment course, step by step
- Faye received radiation therapy after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2019.
What happened, in summary
Faye Belvin was 58 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2019. She began treatment soon afterward, including radiation therapy. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, she was able to continue her cancer care while spending much of her time at home and limiting contact with others.
Family support was a major part of Faye’s experience. Her sisters drove her to appointments and treatments, and she described feeling surrounded by relatives from the beginning. She also valued having a care team that explained her treatment in clear, understandable language.
As her breast radiation was ending in late 2020, Faye developed pain in her side. A blood test at an oncology visit led to further scans and biopsies. In February 2021, she learned that she had a second primary cancer, this time ovarian cancer. That diagnosis marked the beginning of a new phase of treatment after her breast radiation.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by AACR. Read the original in full
How we source and attribute stories Accuracy and limitations
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team. Read the full disclaimer