Lump Unexpected

Young Mom Discovers the Value of Paying Attention to Changes in Her Breast

Now in remission, Ani is doing well. She hopes to inspire others to keep up with regular breast cancer screenings and breast self-exams.

Had it not been for Ani’s commitment to paying careful attention to changes in her body, her breast cancer story may have unfolded quite differently.

Ani went in for a mammogram that came back negative but several months later she felt a lump on her breast. After seeing her gynecologist, Ani had another mammogram and a biopsy, and this time the result came back positive—Ani had breast cancer.

“Hearing the news for the first time was the worst part of the journey,” she said. “The next step was to find a good oncologist. A friend referred me to PIH Health Oncologist Lisa Wang MD, who was amazing.”

Before moving forward with surgery, Dr. Wang started chemotherapy to shrink Ani’s tumor. After five months of treatment, the lump had virtually disappeared. Even though she had a great response to treatment, she chose to have a double mastectomy, just to eliminate the risk of the cancer possibly coming back.

After the mastectomy, Ani had six weeks of radiation and then chose breast reconstruction surgery, performed by Millicent Rovelo MD, PIH Health plastic surgeon.

“My advice is to not postpone yearly checkups. And if something isn’t right with your body, do not put off seeing your doctor. I hope to inspire others to be more proactive with their health,” said Ani. “Choosing PIH Health for my cancer treatment was great, and I couldn’t have asked for a better team. Each doctor was amazing and cared for me like they would their own family member. I’ve learned that having a positive attitude and the right medical team is important. I’m extremely grateful.” Today, Ani is in remission and is doing well.

“Many breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump,” explains Dr. Wang. “Mammograms are important because they can help detect cancer before you can feel a lump, but breast self-exams help you to be familiar with your breasts so you can alert your doctor if there are changes.”

To learn more about breast self-exams or to schedule a mammogram, visit PIHHealth.org/Mammogram.