What happened, in summary

Stephanie was 50 when she found a lump in her right breast on July 2, 2018. Mammogram and ultrasound confirmed the lump, and it was removed in early August. The lump itself was benign, but the pathology also found lobular carcinoma in situ, which raised her future breast cancer risk. Her doctor ordered breast MRI, and that scan showed a mass in the right breast. A follow-up ultrasound found 2 areas of concern. In September, MRI needle biopsy confirmed invasive lobular carcinoma. Stephanie used Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance resources to learn more about ILC and prepare questions for her doctors. On November 13, 2018, she had a unilateral mastectomy. Surgery revealed 22 small tumors. Her Oncotype DX score was 7, indicating that chemotherapy would likely have little to no effect. Radiation was also not needed because the cancer had been removed in surgery and had not spread to her lymph nodes. Stephanie started a planned 10-year course of tamoxifen in January 2019 and had reconstruction the following month. As of July 2023, she was in ongoing survivorship and using what she learned to help others understand lobular breast cancer. Her case also shows how LCIS can lead to closer imaging and earlier ILC detection.