Stage I Breast Cancer: Deborah's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

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. Local doctors recommended delaying surgery because of pandemic risk and starting hormone therapy first, but Deborah worried the cancer could grow while she waited. With help from family and friends, she sought care at Cleveland Clinic, drove 7 hours from New York to Ohio with her cat, and quarantined in her brother’s basement before her appointments. On April 14, she met her Cleveland Clinic care team, including breast surgeon Dr. Stephanie Valente and radiation oncologist Dr. Chirag Shah. Surgery was quickly scheduled, and on April 17 Dr. Valente performed a successful lumpectomy. Because the cancer was early stage and the type was favorable, Deborah did not need chemotherapy. She instead received targeted accelerated radiation: 5 focused treatments over 2 weeks, which limited travel during the pandemic. She also began oral hormone therapy and was still taking it. As of October 2020, Deborah had completed surgery and radiation and was using her experience to encourage other women not to delay mammograms.