SHARI
DIAGNOSIS: Age 39 | Stage 1
GENETICS: No family history of breast cancer
BRCA: Tested negative for mutation
DIAGNOSED BY: Palpable mass, mammogram and sonogram
TREATMENT: Chemotherapy, radiation and breast conservation surgery with partial mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy
CANCER-FREE: 16 years
Shari was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer at the age of 39.
She has no family history of breast cancer.
Tested negative for a genetic mutation.
Shari first felt a mass in her breast when a wire from a bra was irritating her and because of this she felt a lump. The mass was seen in the mammogram and ultrasound, which confirmed an invasive ductal carcinoma.
She had an Oncotype DX test done on her tumor. Oncotype DX is a test that predicts how likely breast cancer is to spread to somewhere else in the body (secondary breast cancer) within 10 years of diagnosis, in people who will be taking hormone therapy for at least 5 years.
Because her Oncotype DX score was 19 (if less than 18, chemotherapy is no longer given for premenopausal node negative women). Shari was treated with chemotherapy and radiation, and took Tamoxifen for 5 years (see chapter 3).
Shari had breast conservation surgery with a partial mastectomy (lumpectomy) and sentinel lymph node biopsy (see chapter 3).
Shari is now 16 years cancer-free.
Read ‘No Longer Radical’ for more stories about women of all ages diagnosed with breast cancer and the different treatment options available.