Stage I Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Jill's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Jill was diagnosed with Stage I invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast in spring 2016. After more than 20 years working on Wall Street, she approached treatment by gathering information and making decisions quickly. Her MSK breast surgeon reviewed her options, and Jill chose lumpectomy so the tumor could be removed while preserving the rest of the breast. She also had a sentinel node biopsy and a gene profile, which helped her avoid chemotherapy. Radiation was still recommended to make sure the cancer was fully treated. Jill’s main fear was being over-radiated and living with long-term side effects. Her radiation oncologist recommended hypofractionated radiation therapy, a shorter and more concentrated approach: 4 weeks rather than the traditional 6 weeks. Because the cancer was in the left breast, her team also used deep inspiration breath hold to protect her heart. During each radiation dose, Jill inhaled deeply and held her breath so the heart would move farther away from the breast tissue being treated. The treatment team monitored her breathing and automatically stopped the beam if movement was detected. After surgery and radiation, Jill planned time away with her husband and looked forward to recovery. No explicit NED or cancer-free status was provided.