Breast Cancer: Jeanette's Patient Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Sex
- Female
What happened, in summary
Jeanette Stephens-El was 43 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003. Cancer was already deeply familiar to her family: two of her sisters had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and two brothers had died from other cancers. Another sister was diagnosed after Jeanette.
At the time, Jeanette was raising a 9-year-old son on her own. The diagnosis made her think about her mortality and what would happen to her child, but she felt she was far too young to be thinking about a legacy. Her experience with breast cancer and the illness across her family later shaped her priorities around health, screening, and research.
Thirteen years after diagnosis, Jeanette described herself as a proud cancer survivor. She maintained a strong interest in healthy eating, exercise, and cancer screening and became a breast cancer patient advocate. She also served as an AACR Ambassador and prepared to participate in an indoor cycling fundraiser for cancer research. For Jeanette, research offered hope not only because of her own breast cancer experience but because cancer had touched so many members of her family.
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