What happened, in summary

Melissa Adams noticed a persistent abnormal area in her right breast in 2017 while finishing a graduate degree in planetary geology. Ultrasound, mammography, and biopsy led to a diagnosis of invasive lobular carcinoma. Because the tumor was large, she underwent surgery first and chose a double mastectomy after an MRI also showed an abnormality in the other breast.

Living in Hawai‘i created major practical barriers to specialty care. Melissa traveled to the mainland for a second opinion at MD Anderson while she was still recovering from surgery. She then received many rounds of chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy. A PET scan afterward showed no evidence of disease, but Melissa understood that she had been treated for Stage III cancer. She continued maintenance hormone therapy until the breast cancer progressed and was reassigned as Stage IV.

Treatment left lasting effects, including low energy, difficulty retaining information that she described as “chemo brain,” and a significant mental-health burden. Melissa also spoke about the financial and travel barriers that made clinical trials difficult to access from Hawai‘i. As she adapted to living with Stage IV breast cancer, she focused on keeping the disease at bay, reconnecting with church, volunteering with Breast Cancer Hawaii, and helping other patients through outreach and advocacy.