Clinical Trial Saved my Life. I am a Cancer Survivor

 Living out my dream of caring for rescue horses in the picturesque Colorado landscape, I was on the cusp of celebrating my 34th birthday. Life was seemingly perfect, and I couldn't have been happier. Little did I know that just one week before my birthday, my world would be turned upside down with a shocking diagnosis that no one expects at such a young age - stage 3, triple-negative breast cancer.

The news hit me like a ton of bricks, and a torrent of questions flooded my mind. "How am I 34 with stage 3 breast cancer?" I wondered aloud. "Why is this happening to me? How is this possible?" It was a whirlwind of emotions and disbelief as I grappled with the harsh reality of my diagnosis last January.

Triple-negative breast cancer is a unique and relatively rare category, accounting for only about 10-15% of all breast cancer cases, as per the Cleveland Clinic. What makes it particularly challenging is its lack of receptors that drug therapies can target for treatment. In simpler terms, it's harder to treat than other types of breast cancers.

With my diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer, it meant that the disease had already spread beyond my breast to nearby lymph nodes or muscles. The journey ahead was going to be tough, but I was determined to fight.

Faced with this daunting diagnosis, I made the decision to return to my home state of Pennsylvania to undergo treatment at the Penn Medicine Abramson Cancer Center. It held a special place in my heart as it was the same center where my mother had battled and triumphed over colon cancer 17 years ago.

In a decision reminiscent of my mother's bravery, I told my doctors that I wanted to participate in a clinical trial. I believed it offered me the best chance of overcoming this disease while also potentially paving the way for more effective treatments for other breast cancer patients in the future.

"I want to help people in the future who are faced with this," I declared. "I want things to be easier for them."

Enrolling in the I-SPY2 clinical trial at the Penn Medicine Abramson Cancer Center, I embarked on a journey of hope and healing. The trial involved receiving four infusions of a cutting-edge therapy that promised a faster and less toxic approach compared to the standard treatment for my type of cancer.

Dr. Hayley Knollman, my oncologist, described it best: "The standard of care for treatment of triple-negative breast cancer would involve six months of intense chemotherapy, along with immunotherapy. And with her participating in this clinical trial, we were able to treat her very effectively for this breast cancer in half of the time and spare her a lot of toxicity."

The results were nothing short of remarkable. Dr. Lola Fayanju, my breast surgeon, expressed her excitement, saying, "She had a great response on pathology. When we finally got the results of her surgery back and looked at it under the microscope, we were really excited to see that basically all that tumor was gone."

After a successful surgery, I began radiation therapy, a crucial step in my journey. And following that, I'll take a chemotherapy pill to help prevent the cancer from making a comeback.

While not every patient in a clinical trial will have the same outcome, I hope that my story can destigmatize clinical trials and raise awareness of the myriad opportunities for breast cancer treatment. I want women to know that these trials are not to be feared but embraced as a beacon of hope.

My incredible doctors, Fayanju and Knollman, share my hope that my story will shed light on the importance of breast cancer awareness. "You actually can't be too young to get breast cancer," Fayanju emphasized. "Listen to your body if you're a woman, and also know if you're high or average risk."

In the United States, mammogram screenings are recommended for women starting at age 40, according to 2023 draft recommendations from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force.

Knollman highlighted the prevalence of breast cancer, with around 240,000 women diagnosed each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She urged women to become intimately familiar with their bodies and to promptly raise any concerns with their doctors.

Breast cancer is a battle that no one should have to face alone, and my journey serves as a testament to the strength, resilience, and unwavering hope that can be found even in the darkest of moments.