Stage III HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Genoa's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Genoa was living the life she wanted when a subtle but persistent feeling of nausea made her think something was wrong. She was already due for a mammogram, and her OB-GYN also ordered a breast MRI because of her family history of breast cancer. The MRI, diagnostic mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy moved quickly over just a few days and found Stage III HER2-positive, ER-positive breast cancer. Genoa was frightened because her mother had died of breast cancer years earlier, but her team explained that modern treatment had changed what breast cancer could mean. She chose to move her care to a team that felt like a better fit. The plan was neoadjuvant chemotherapy to shrink the tumor before surgery, followed by surgery and radiation. Her chemotherapy included taxanes/Taxotere, carboplatin, and trastuzumab/Herceptin. She started chemo in October, dealt with nausea, hair loss, fatigue, and bowel changes, and kept working from home during treatment when she could. Genoa chose breast conservation with lumpectomy rather than mastectomy. Radiation followed, once daily on weekdays during May, with a shorter course than she first feared after discussing options with her doctor. As of June 2026, her story focused on survivorship, self-advocacy, and rebuilding confidence after treatment.