Ellen Updates

Background

Ellen is starting treatment for Stage 2 breast cancer

Diagnosis 

In early June 2022, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer, estrogen/progesterone positive, HER 2 negative in my right breast. Due to spread to a (one) lymph node, and the size of the tumor, it is classified as Stage 2. 

Discovery

Annual mammogram - get your boobs checked! Also, a future post will offer more information on “dense breasts”. For now, if you get that diagnosis and a CYA letter from the radiologist, follow up with your doctor about the potential need for a breast MRI. 

Treatment 

I am young! Meaning, the oncologist recommended chemo, then surgery, then radiation. The hope is the chemo will shrink the tumor, shrink the lymph node, and decrease the amount of lymph nodes that are removed. Genetic testing results will guide the surgical decisions, as well as the response to the chemotherapy.