Stage IV Breast Cancer: Natalia's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Natalia Padron’s breast cancer was found after she noticed that something looked different in her breasts and sought routine breast imaging. The report was highly suspicious, and she was referred to a surgeon. She had a family history of breast cancer through her paternal grandmother, but she said she had not been found to carry a breast cancer gene mutation. In 2015, after a radical hysterectomy, pathology showed that breast cancer had spread to her pelvic organs and ovaries. She was told the disease was terminal and that her prognosis was about 3 years. Natalia was also a single mother of 3, so the diagnosis immediately raised fears about what would happen to her children. Over time, she became involved in the metastatic breast cancer community and used her voice to advocate for more attention and resources for people living with advanced disease. She also described being on daily cancer treatment/medications to help keep the cancer from growing, although the specific drugs were not named. Side effects included very dry, cracked skin, which led her to begin making natural soaps for herself and later sharing them with others. As of November 2019, Natalia was living about 5 years after diagnosis.