Overview . Resources

As of this writing, I’ve received a cancer diagnosis four times–first in 1999 and then 3 recurrences beginning in 2018. My current diagnosis is Stage 4 unresectable, incurable MTNBC (metastatic triple negative breast cancer).

At age 47, I was first diagnosed and treated for estrogen/progesterone positive, HER-2 negative breast cancer. Nineteen years later a recurrence of breast cancer was diagnosed as triple-negative. I received 16 rounds of infused chemotherapy (13 before surgery and 3 after), a port placement and removal, multiple blood draws, ultrasounds, MRIs, and surgery for triple-negative cancer in lymph nodes both under my right arm and between my pectoral muscles. Six months after my last treatment, I had another recurrence requiring surgery, followed by radiation and 11 months of oral chemotherapy. Eleven months after completing that course, a mass was found just below my right collarbone as well as a couple nodules in my right lung. I then took the same oral chemo at a higher dose. It was ineffective. I was prescribed another type of oral chemo daily. Other than a bit of fatigue, there were no side effects. But it didn’t work.

On January 18, 2023 I became a research subject in a clinical trial at UCSF Mission Bay that is specific to my diagnosis. I was given another port and made a 1-2 year commitment. After 11 months in the study, the mass in the pectoral muscle area and nodules in the left lung were undetectable. The nodules in the right lung continued to slowly increase in size. The last treatment was on November 10, 2023. I dropped out of the study for focal radiation on the two largest lung nodules. All issues have been stable with no treatment as of September 2024. However a recent CT scan reported growth in two areas–right paratracheal node and right axillary node. The last week of December 2024, I underwent 5 consecutive days of focal radiation on the paratracheal node. A chest CT scan scheduled for March 18, confirmed suspected growth in both the lung nodules and the right axillary lymph nodes. On May 19, 2025 I began infusions of Dato-Dxd a new therapy recently approved by the FDA.

Prior to getting any treatments, I did a lot of research into available options and recommendations by various individuals. It’s the same approach I took in 1999 when I was diagnosed with estrogen-receptive breast cancer. Ultimately, that led me to UCSF and Dr. Leong and a sentinel node biopsy of the lymph nodes rather than an axillary dissection, which was the standard at the time. All my adjuvant therapies were at Redwood Radiology in Santa Rosa, California and included chemotherapy and radiation.

In February 2025, I was invited to talk about what life has been like as a person with cancer. I called it “Being at Peace with Cancer.”

Below are lists of my caregivers and links to their bios as well as a list of all of the cancer-related procedures I’ve had since my recurrence in September 2018. There are also links and lists of other cancer-related resources both traditional and alternative.

My Caregivers – 2018-2025

Dr. Elizabeth Whipkey-Olson – personal physician – Baechtel Creek Medical Clinic
Dr. Hope Rugo – oncologist – UCSF San Francisco (retired, now with City of Hope)
Dr. Laura Huppert – oncologist – UCSF San Francisco (current)
Dr. Hengbing Wang – oncologist – Adventist Health Ukiah Valley (current, local)
Dr. Steven Braunstein – radiation oncologist – UCSF San Francisco (current)
Dr. Javid Moslehi – cardiologist – UCSF San Francisco
Dr. Cheryl Ewing – breast cancer surgeon – UCSF San Francisco
Dr. Jay Joseph – radiation oncologist – Providence Medical Group Ukiah
Dr. Catherine Park – radiation oncologist – UCSF San Francisco
Dr. Joanna Chensi Yang – radiation oncologist – UCSF San Francisco

My caregivers – 1999-2000

Dr. Stanley Leong – 1999 lumpectomy & sentinel node biopsy
Dr. Helen Collins – 1999 oncologist & chemotherapy
Dr. Ronald Van Roy – 1999 radiation oncologist
Dr. Elizabeth Blount – 1999 personal physician

Recurrences

First recurrence: SEP 19. 2018
Second recurrence: JAN 17. 2020
Third recurrence metastatic: OCT 4. 2021

Treatments 2018 – present

Chemotherapy infusions – Carboplatin and Taxol – JAN 8-APR 16. 2019
Adjuvant chemotherapy infusions – Adriamycin – JUN 11-JUL 8. 2019
Radiation – chest – APR 20-MAY 22. 2020
Adjuvant oral chemotherapy – Xeloda (low dose) – MAR 21-NOV 20. 2020
Oral chemotherapy – Xeloda (high dose) – DEC 4.2021-AUG 12. 2022
Oral chemotherapy – Bicalutamide – OCT 4. 2022 – JAN 23. 2023
Clinical trail – Magrolimab and Sacituzumab – JAN 18-NOV 8. 2023
Focal radiation – lung nodules – DEC 4-8. 2023
Iron infusions – JUL 25-AUG 1. 2024
Focal radiation – paratracheal lymph node – JAN 17-31. 2025
Dato-DxD infusions – MAY 19. 2025-present
Focal radiation – right lung lesion – DEC 1-5. 2025

2025 Procedures/Tests

CT chest, abdomen, pelvis with contrast – JUL 15
CT chest, abdomen, pelvis with contrast – OCT 14
Bone scan – full body – OCT 14

2024 Procedures/Tests

CT chest with contrast – MAR 28
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – MAR 28
CT chest with contrast – APR 30
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – APR 30
PET/CT (without contrast) – AUG 28
CT chest with contrast – OCT 17
CT chest with contrast – DEC 12

2023 Procedures/Tests

Port placement – JAN 6
ECG – JAN 6
CT chest with contrast – FEB 22
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – FEB 22
CT chest with contrast – APR 5
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – APR 5
CT chest with contrast – MAY 17
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – MAY 17
CT chest with contrast – JUN 28
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – JUN 28
CT chest with contrast – AUG 9
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – AUG 9
CT chest with contrast – SEP 26
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – SEP 26
CT chest with contrast – NOV 1
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – NOV 1
CT chest with contrast – DEC 13
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – DEC 13

2022 Procedures/Tests

CT (with contrast) – FEB 22
CT (with contrast) – MAY 17
EGG – AUG 17
PET/CT (without contrast) – AUG 16
CT (without contrast) – SEP 28
CT (with contrast) – NOV 8
Echocardiogram – NOV 8
CT chest with contrast – DEC 21
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – DEC 21

2021 Procedures/Tests

PET/CT – FEB 23
PET/CT (with contrast) & breast MRI – JUN 14
Dexa scan – JUN 15
PET/CT (with contrast) – OCT 4
FNA (fine needle aspiration) – OCT 5
Core biopsy with ultrasound – OCT 29
CT (with contrast) – NOV 30
Core biopsy with ultrasound – DEC 28

2020 Procedures/Tests

Mammogram – JAN 17
Breast ultrasound guided fine needle biopsy – JAN 21
PET/CT – JAN 29
Breast MRI – JAN 30
Breast ultrasound guided magseed placement – FEB 5
Breast lumpectomy – FEB 12
Diagnostic mammography & mammogram – SEP 17
Breast MRI – NOV 17

2019 Procedures/Tests

Breast ultrasound and tumor sites clip placement
Port placement – February 5
Breast MRI – FEB 26
Breast MRI – APR 15
Surgery – MAY 15 – five lymph nodes removed
Outpatient surgery – JUL 22 – port removal

2018 Procedures/Tests

OTHER RESOURCES

Health information resources

Cancer Resource Centers of Mendocino County – Established in 1995 providing patient navigation, support groups, financial assistance, transportation and other resources for individuals dealing with cancer in rural Northern California.

Cancer Support Community – Providing support, fostering compassionate communities, and breaking down barriers to care.

Project Life MBC – An online home for metastatic breast cancer patients and their loved ones, Project Life is designed to support all facets of wellness: from financial and social, to spiritual, physical and emotional. Its virtual “wellness house” is a space where members can find mentors and meet other MBC thrivers, join survivorship conversations and classes, and explore skills and knowledge that empower them to make every day the best that it can be.

MedlinePlus.gov – An online health information resource. A service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world’s largest medical library, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Immunotherapy

Jim Allison, Nobel prize winner for cancer breakthrough

Anti-angiogenesis therapy

Dr. William Li – Can we starve cancer?
Eat to beat cancer – eattobeat.org

Traditional therapy – cut, burn and poison

Alternative considerations