What happened, in summary

Dee Doherty was first diagnosed at age 31 with Stage III invasive ductal carcinoma and extensive DCIS in her left breast. Her early signs included trouble producing milk on the left side while breastfeeding, then breast pain and a growing lumpy area. Because she was under 35, she struggled to get urgent breast imaging. A private ultrasound finally led to the workup that confirmed breast cancer.

Her initial treatment was neoadjuvant chemotherapy with AC, often called the Red Devil, followed by Taxol. She then had a bilateral mastectomy and axillary clearance, with all lymph nodes removed from under her arm. Surgery showed the cancer was more aggressive than first thought, with higher grade disease and no clear margins, so she went on to radiotherapy. After active treatment ended, she struggled with identity, PTSD, and the loss of fertility plans.

Later, while planning to temporarily pause hormonal treatment to try for another baby, a CT scan showed a bone lesion. Dee was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. She restarted ovarian suppression and anti-hormonal treatment, and added the oral targeted therapy ribociclib/Kisqali with letrozole. As of September 2024, her tumors had not shrunk, but they were stable. She described working, parenting, and living a full life while managing metastatic breast cancer.