07/26/2025
I am living proof that supplemental breast cancer screening can save lives. For years, I followed all the rules - I had regular mammograms starting at age 40, I am now 52. Every single one came back ‘clear.’ But I also have type D breast tissue: extremely dense, the kind that can mask cancer on traditional imaging. No one flagged it. No one offered further screening.
There is a strong family history of cancer on my dad’s side. My grandmother was a survivor—not just once, but twice. She battled and overcame both ovarian and breast cancer, an incredible testament to her strength. But cancer wasn’t just her story—it ran through all the generations. From a young age, I became familiar with the language of illness, resilience, and uncertainty. Cancer shaped not only our family’s medical history but also our collective spirit, how we valued time, and how we carried hope alongside fear.
In March of 2024, I chose to have an elective surgery - a breast lift. What happened next changed everything. The pathology report was positive for invasive lobular carcinoma. Cancer had been there all along, hiding in plain sight.
Because it was discovered by chance, my diagnostic path unfolded ‘backwards’. Instead of imaging first, then biopsy, my story started with a pathology report - something already confirmed to be cancerous. Only then did I undergo extensive imaging, and a core biopsy to help pinpoint the full extent of the disease. Even with the benefit of knowing exactly where to look, the radiologist told me it was still difficult to see. That’s how subtle - and how dangerous - lobular carcinoma can be in dense tissue.
Finally, after months of diagnostics, appointments and uncertainty, I underwent a lumpectomy and sentinel node removal. The diagnosis hit harder than I expected, but at least my surgery was behind me. With 2 positive nodes, but clean surgical margins I began radiation therapy in April, trying to face each day with strength and gratitude. It was a year-long journey - full of difficult decisions, physical and emotional recovery, and a renewed understanding of what it means to fight for my own health.
Sometimes, I think about what my future would have been if I hadn’t wanted that breast lift surgery. Would the cancer have continued to grow undetected for years? Would it have spread beyond the point of curability? It’s a chilling thought—and one I can’t ignore. That surgery didn’t just change the shape of my body—it likely saved my life.
This has been the hardest chapter of my life, but I’m here, and I’m healing. I am deeply grateful to the medical team who stood by me with compassion, expertise, and unwavering support.
But we need to do better. Dense breast tissue should not be a blind spot. Women deserve to be informed. They deserve options. Supplemental screening - like ultrasound or MRI should be part of the conversation. Because sometimes, it’s the test you weren’t offered that makes all the difference.
I openly share my story not out of fear, but out of purpose. If my experience can help even one person push for further screening, ask the extra question, or advocate for their own health more fiercely, then this journey has meaning beyond my own survival. I now know that healing isn’t just physical - it’s also about reclaiming your voice, your power, and your future. I want women - especially those with dense breast tissue to know they have a right to more than just a standard mammogram. They have a right to answers. To early detection. To life.
I’m speaking up because we deserve better. And better starts with awareness, action, and not being afraid to ask for more.
DBC Note: Denise, Thank you so much for sharing your powerful story. Your courage in turning such a difficult experience into advocacy is incredibly meaningful and will resonate with so many women who may not even realize they’re at risk. We’re grateful for your openness and your determination to help others through your experience.
