HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Irasema's Survivor Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Biomarkers
- HER2-positive
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- surgery and targeted therapy
- Outcome
- Cancer-Free / NED
Treatment course, step by step
- She had a double mastectomy.
- She then received HER2-targeted therapy for 1 year.
What happened, in summary
In September 2020, several years after treatment for stomach cancer, Irasema Partida Chavez learned that she also had breast cancer. Routine imaging showed an abnormality in her right breast. A mammogram and biopsy confirmed cancer, and she was told that about 13 centimeters of her right breast were involved.
Irasema chose to have a double mastectomy. Testing showed that the breast cancer was HER2-positive, so she then received HER2-targeted treatment for 1 year. Irasema later reported that she had been free of breast cancer for 3 years. Her wife remained closely involved throughout her care, attending appointments and helping her navigate treatment. Having experienced two separate cancers, Irasema became an active patient advocate. She has used her story to encourage other patients not to lose hope and to learn about available treatment and research options.
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