Stage III HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Jeanine's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Jeanine had annual mammograms for 10 years because of a family history of breast cancer. In 2016, after years of watching microcalcifications, she noticed that a cyst-like area in her right breast would not go away and that the same breast had slight dimpling. A biopsy of additional microcalcifications showed invasive lobular carcinoma that was PR-positive, ER-positive, and HER2-negative. CT and bone scans were clear, and genetic testing was negative, but the tumor was larger than first thought. Her diagnosis moved to Stage II, with concern in the left breast as well. Jeanine had 4 months of chemotherapy, but the treatment did not affect the cancer much. She then had a bilateral mastectomy. After surgery, the diagnosis was restaged to Stage III on both sides because 21 lymph nodes on the left side contained ILC. She went through weeks of radiation after surgery in November 2017, which she felt helped address remaining cancer cells. As of June 2021, Jeanine was grateful for her oncology team, continued care, and the growing focus on lobular breast cancer research. Her story highlights how ILC can be missed or underestimated on screening and why subtype-specific research matters. She later used her experience to push for earlier ILC detection and treatments designed for lobular disease.