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.