Stage III Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Neda's Survivor Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage III
- Subtype
- Invasive Lobular Carcinoma
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy
- Outcome
- Care Ongoing / Survivorship
Treatment course, step by step
- Double mastectomy in April 2022, followed by additional surgeries → 24 rounds of CMF chemotherapy given in smaller doses over many weeks → 25 radiation treatments completed by February 15, 2023 → endocrine therapy.
- An additional targeted medicine intended to reduce distant-recurrence risk was planned but had not yet started.
What happened, in summary
Neda was 48 and living in Seattle when her breast cancer journey began. In April 2020, she felt a large lump in her left breast. Mammography and ultrasound did not show cancer, and she received a letter noting dense breast tissue and recommending another visit in 1 year.
On March 17, 2022, a repeat ultrasound quickly revealed breast cancer. After a nurse friend suggested checking her armpit, Neda found another lump there. A biopsy confirmed invasive lobular carcinoma. She chose a double mastectomy in April. Final pathology showed a 6 cm tumor and cancer in 2 lymph nodes, making it stage 3. Her radiation team believed the tumor may have been growing for more than 8 years.
Neda went through multiple surgeries, 24 rounds of CMF chemotherapy and 25 radiation treatments, completing radiation on February 15, 2023. CMF was given in smaller doses over many weeks. After acute treatment, she began endocrine therapy and was preparing to add another targeted medicine intended to reduce the risk of distant recurrence.
As her energy returned, Neda used meditation, journaling and self-care to manage the emotional strain. She also began speaking publicly about how lobular breast cancer can be difficult to detect and why more subtype-specific research is needed.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance. 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