The Story

Here is Sheila's story in her own words.

Sheila was diagnosed with invasive ductile carcinoma on January 9, 2009. She felt a lump in her right breast in early December, and visited her primary care physician shortly after returning to Seattle from spending the holidays in Colorado.

That visit led to an ultrasound of the lump, an immediate core biopsy and the diagnosis a few days later. So far, it has been determined that the one lymph node that was aspirated at the time of the core biopsy is also cancerous.

The cancer started in a milk duct and, once it grew too big to be contained, broke free and continued to grow. This is when she discovered it. Ductile cancers can grow in milk ducts for up to eight years before they are detected. It is not known how long this cancer was present, and tests will determine how far it has spread.Dense breast tissue hid the cancer from mammograms.

Sheila had annual mammograms since she was 35; the latest being September of 2008. Nothing was detected at that time.Both Sheila’s grandmothers had breast cancer – one was 74, and the other was 80 when diagnosed. Both were cured and continued to lead healthy lives.