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When I was diagnosed with stage III triple-negative breast cancer in May 2023, I was pretty scared. I had just turned 32, and I didn¡¯t know yet that there were different kinds of breast cancer and many different treatment options available. I felt so blindsided by my diagnosis that it took me a few weeks to grasp it fully.

Once I did, though, I knew I wanted to go to MD Anderson. It¡¯s been ranked the No. 1 cancer hospital in the country for years, and it¡¯s only about a two-hour drive from my home in central Texas. 

I¡¯m so glad now that I made that decision. I¡¯ve been cancer-free since February 2024, thanks to the TOPAz clinical trial I joined there. It also cut the number of surgeries I needed in half.

Why I chose a clinical trial for my triple-negative breast cancer treatment

I was surprised to be offered a clinical trial so quickly. My medical oncologist, , brought it up almost immediately. 

Like a lot of people, I thought that clinical trials were something you did only when you ran out of other options. Why would I want to consider something new when the tried-and-true treatments were still available?

But after talking it over with Dr. Yam, I changed my mind. He laid everything out in such a logical, easy-to-follow way. He explained that I¡¯d be getting the same recommended treatments, just in a different order. The goal was to make my breast cancer treatment both shorter and easier.

How my treatment plan differed from the conventional one

Normally, a patient in my situation would have chemotherapy followed by a mastectomy, then radiation therapy and breast reconstruction six months later. That would mean either being flat-chested for six months or needing spacers to prepare my body for permanent implants.

With the TOPAZ trial, though, I¡¯d start with chemotherapy. That would be followed by radiation therapy and then a double mastectomy, with immediate reconstruction. So, instead of having two major surgeries six months apart, I¡¯d only need one really long surgery. And at the end of it, I¡¯d come out with new breasts.

I¡¯d heard from friends that spacers could be painful, and I didn¡¯t want to be flat-chested for that long. This clinical trial would spare me all of those middle steps. It sounded great. 

My triple-negative breast cancer treatment

I started eight rounds of chemotherapy under Dr. Yam¡¯s supervision in July of last year. I finished in December 2023. Then, I had 20 rounds of radiation therapy under radiation oncologist . I completed those in February 2024.

Surgical oncologist performed my double mastectomy on Feb. 29, 2024. And plastic surgeon performed a DIEP flap reconstruction immediately afterward.

Why I tell people to consider clinical trials

My recovery from breast cancer treatment has been pretty smooth. I¡¯m doing really well today. I¡¯m back to teaching and feel normal. I don¡¯t have any lingering side effects. 

I can¡¯t even tell you how excited and happy it makes me feel to know that my doctors will use what they¡¯ve learned from me to do even better for future breast cancer patients. 

It was exciting to be a part of something new. And I love that these clinical trials are opening up new possibilities for people: whether it¡¯s making their breast cancer treatment easier or allowing them the option of immediate reconstruction.

That¡¯s why I tell everyone to go to MD Anderson now if they have cancer. And, if they¡¯re offered a clinical trial, I tell them to weigh the pros and cons and decide what outcome is most important to them. If a clinical trial can help them accomplish it, then I say, ¡°Go for it!¡±

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