Brandi Hale’s family is all too familiar with the despair a cancer diagnosis can bring. Her father was 54 when he passed away from colon cancer, and her mother passed away from lung cancer several years ago. In between Brandi’s parents’ diagnoses, she learned she had a rare type of breast cancer – and that her cancer was not due to an inherited gene mutation.
Too Young For Breast Cancer?
Twenty-seven years ago, when Brandi was 25, she was taking weekly self-defense classes. “Every time I got hit on that side of my breast, it hurt,” she recalled. “It hurt in a way that felt like whatever it was shouldn’t be there. It wasn’t a regular pain.” Brandi could feel a lump and, when it grew bigger, she made a doctor’s appointment.
“When I went to the doctor, everyone was like, well you’re so young. It can’t be breast cancer,” she said. “I was told if it’s in a weird place and it hurts, it’s good, nothing to worry about.” But I kept asking about it, so they finally did a biopsy. And the cells showed up as malignant.”
A Rare Breast Cancer Diagnosis
A second biopsy confirmed Brandi had a phyllodes tumor of the breast. While most phyllodes tumors are benign, Brandi’s tumor was malignant. “When it was finally removed, it was the size of my fist,” she said. “When I had the second biopsy, it’s like the tumor exploded, it grew so quickly. My skin turned purple, so they knew they needed to do something quickly.”
Breast Cancer Treatment
Brandi’s doctor reached out to several doctors to determine the best way to treat her. The team decided she did not need chemotherapy or radiation, and surgery was the best option.
“They completely removed it and were able to get clean margins,” she said. “It came out completely intact.” Brandi opted to have a bilateral mastectomy and breast reconstruction after the tumor was removed.
“People tried to convince me to only have a partial lumpectomy, to preserve breast tissue since I was so young, but I was pretty black and white about it. I wanted the double mastectomy, I didn’t want to have to worry about a recurrence.”
Embracing Support
Two years before her diagnosis, Brandi had watched her father pass away from colon cancer and knew firsthand how cancer can devastate a community. “It’s still emotional to think about that. I’m so grateful for the support I had from friends and family,” she said. “They carried me through the experience completely.”
She also found strength in her care team. “They kept telling me I was going to be okay. I never felt like it was false hope. My cancer was rare, but they were telling me I was going to be okay and I believed it,” she said. “I’d lost my dad, but I knew my breast cancer was such a different cancer than what my dad had.”
Brandi, who lives in Puerto Rico with her husband and son, returns to her original doctor in Texas for annual visits. “It’s hard to go back, still, but my doctor is just so amazing,” she said. “But the past always floods back. And you see people who are currently in treatment, and it’s hard, but it’s also good to be a voice of hope for them, someone who is a breast cancer survivor of more than 25 years.”
Sharing Experience With Others
For Brandi, sharing her experience – and her family’s – is therapeutic in that it helps others. And helping others is what she’s dedicated her life to, whether it’s through her work in the nonprofit space or talking to people with breast cancer.
“I want to be a sounding board and I want to share what I’ve been through,” she said. “I talk about the importance of a plan once you’ve been diagnosed, how it helps you feel in control of the situation that you very much feel like you have no control over. I’ve dedicated my life to helping others. I know for a fact that’s why I’m still here, and it’s why I don’t take my life for granted.”
Statements and opinions expressed are that of the individual and do not express the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons with breast cancer should consult their health care provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.
