Stage II HR-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Dorian's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Dorian de Salvo was active, working out 5 to 6 times a week, when she began gaining weight without a clear reason. One doctor dismissed her concerns, but another ran blood work that suggested something could be wrong. While traveling for work, Dorian found a lump in her breast in the shower. After several calls and delays getting the right imaging order, mammogram and ultrasound showed something aggressive-looking. She was diagnosed with Stage IIA triple-positive breast cancer, meaning the cancer was ER-positive, PR-positive, and HER2-positive. Lymph nodes did not appear involved at the start. Her treatment began with TCHP chemotherapy. Chemo affected her ability to concentrate, changed her taste and smell, caused fatigue, diarrhea and nausea, and led to hair loss within about 2 weeks. By the time she was ready for surgery, Dorian had a complete response: the lump could no longer be found. Her monitoring during chemotherapy included 2 echocardiograms and 2 MRIs. Surgery used needle-guided wire localization and sentinel-node mapping. She went home the same day and was told margins were clear and lymph nodes were negative. Radiation followed 5 days a week for 4 weeks, with breath-holding to protect her heart and lungs. As of March 2024, she was about 9 months into a treatment path with roughly 4 months still ahead, while encouraging others to stay themselves through care.