What happened, in summary

Katherine Humphrey was 31 when a breast lump led to a biopsy and a diagnosis of triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma. As a breast-care advanced practice provider, she understood the diagnosis immediately, which made becoming a patient especially difficult. Her tumor was less than 2 centimeters and had not spread. Between February and April 2026, Katherine received 4 rounds of docetaxel plus carboplatin. While on treatment, she weighed lumpectomy against mastectomy and ultimately chose a bilateral mastectomy because of her young age, family history, and concerns about the future. After surgery, she received doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide over the summer. Capecitabine was planned for about 4 months in the fall to reduce the risk of recurrence. Treatment also affected Katherine emotionally and temporarily changed how much she could give to her own patients, so she stepped away from work and used psychosocial support while recovering. She remains focused on healing, wellness, and completing the next phase of treatment.