What happened, in summary

Allison Tierney, an oncology dietitian in Wisconsin, found a breast lump shortly after finishing breastfeeding her 2nd child. Because she was only 10 days postpartum from nursing, the lump could have been a clogged duct, but it continued to worry her. Imaging and biopsy first showed DCIS with microinvasion. Further evaluation changed the picture: her final diagnosis was triple-positive invasive ductal carcinoma, with estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2 positivity. Genetic testing also found a CHEK2 mutation, while BRCA1/2 and the other tested genes were negative. Her team initially discussed a single mastectomy, but the CHEK2 result and her own preference led to a double mastectomy with D-flap reconstruction on July 14, 2022. The sentinel lymph node checked during surgery was negative, so radiation was not needed. Recovery from the long reconstruction was intense, but she did well. On Aug. 24, 2022, she started weekly Taxol with Herceptin for 12 weeks. She then continued Herceptin every 3 weeks for 9 more months, completing 1 year of HER2-directed treatment. As of March 2024, Allison had finished active Taxol and Herceptin treatment, was taking tamoxifen with a 10-year plan, and had moved to 6-month follow-up visits.