I am one of the lucky ones. On August 22, 2023, I heard those crippling words that no one is prepared for – you have cancer. During National Cancer Survivors Month, I am reflecting on that moment and sharing my story with the hopes that it will be a source of comfort and encouragement for anyone going through a similar experience.
At 38 years old, with two small children, I never thought this would be a chapter in my book. But it turns out that a sharp pain I felt in my right breast was my lifesaver. Having just finished nursing my one-year-old, I began to develop a dull ache on the right side. I didn’t think much of it, assuming it was perhaps just hormones or my body readjusting now that my breast-feeding journey was ending. Then one night, the pain was more pronounced than usual as I bent down into the crib to pick up my baby. I had been saying for a few weeks at this point that I was having some discomfort in that spot, and when I said it again that evening, my husband urged me to please get it checked out. We had lost his mom to breast cancer just two years prior.
Laura with her family post-mastectomy
The very next morning, I called the doctor without hesitation. I was seen within the hour and sent for further testing, getting a mammogram and ultrasound later that week. The mammogram showed something suspicious –and it had nothing to do with the pain that I was feeling (which was confirmed to just be a residual effect of breastfeeding). Three biopsies later, I learned the diagnosis was ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which affects the cells of the milk ducts and accounts for about 20% of breast cancers, and that it was taking up more than half my right breast.1 My left breast was also considered high risk. The recommended treatment would be a bilateral mastectomy.
My initial reaction to hearing this was, “I’m going to be sick,” but as I took a second to process this incomprehensible moment, I knew I would face this diagnosis head on and that I would be okay. And thankfully, I am.
I was 17 years old when my mom passed away from head and neck cancer at the age of 42. In the 23 years since then, incredible advancements have been made in the field. And while I wish she was here with me to celebrate National Cancer Survivors Month, I know I am not alone, and I consider myself one of the fortunate ones to now have no more evidence of the disease.
I hope that by sharing this story, I can inspire and motivate people to listen to their bodies and make sure to attend their annual screenings, in addition to speaking with a doctor if they suspect something may be wrong. If I hadn’t listened to my body (and my nagging husband) I may not have gone for the check-up. Thanks to those tests, I can attest that early detection without a doubt is protection.
My cancer journey started at the same time I began working at Eisai, and I truly believe that I was made for my role on the Corporate Advocacy team. I feel an enormous amount of pride to know that I work at a place where scientists are making strides every single day toward treatments that can help people like me. Everyone at Eisai lives and breathes our human health care (hhc) mission putting patients and their families at the center of everything we do, and that’s what inspires and excites me about coming to work each day.
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References
1. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS). https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/breast-cancer/ductal-carcinoma-in-situ#:~:text=Ductal%20carcinoma%20in%20situ%20(DCIS)%20is%20a%20condition%20that%20affects,early%20form%20of%20breast%20cancer. Accessed April 2025.