Stage II Breast Cancer: Nicole's Survivor Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage II
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, a clinical trial and surveillance
- Outcome
- Cancer-Free / NED
Treatment course, step by step
- October 2017 bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction because two tumors were in the same breast
- Chemotherapy included doxorubicin
- Radiation therapy followed
- Joined an MSK exercise trial during chemotherapy
- Trial involved treadmill exercise 3 days per week plus heart and fitness testing.
What happened, in summary
Nicole Grogan was 44 when a mammogram and biopsy in September 2017 showed Stage II breast cancer. Because she had 2 tumors in the same breast, MSK surgeon Andrea Barrio recommended mastectomy. Nicole chose to remove both breasts and have reconstruction, and her surgery took place in October 2017 at the Josie Robertson Surgery Center. Soon afterward, she met medical oncologist Ayca Gucalp and radiation oncologist Oren Cahlon to plan the rest of treatment. Her chemotherapy included the anthracycline doxorubicin, and she also received radiation therapy. During that first oncology visit, Nicole was offered a clinical trial testing whether regular exercise during and after treatment could reduce the higher cardiovascular risk linked to some early-stage breast cancer therapies. She joined the group assigned to supervised exercise during chemotherapy. Before starting, she had baseline heart and stress testing. During the trial, which lasted almost a year, she came to MSK 3 times a week for treadmill sessions with the exercise oncology team. Nicole felt the program supported both her body and her mental health during intensive treatment. She returned to work, travel and family life afterward. At her July 2019 appointment, she had no evidence of disease and credited the exercise trial with helping her recover strength and confidence.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by Memorial Sloan Kettering. Read the original in full
How we source and attribute stories Accuracy and limitations
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team. Read the full disclaimer