A month after Tennille Smith rang the bell, signaling she had finished treatment for stage 2 breast cancer, she learned the cancer had spread – she had stage 4 (metastatic) breast cancer, for which there is no cure today.
Finding a Lump
In February 2021, Tennille felt a lump in her right breast and reached out to her doctor. “It took weeks before I could get an appointment,” Tennille said. “Oh, the anxiety I felt waiting, wondering what it was.”
Breast Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment
Tennille had a diagnostic mammogram, followed by a biopsy, and five days after her 45th birthday, learned she had stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma. “I was in shock. I just stared at my doctor, trying to process everything he was saying,” she said. To complicate matters, she had no prior knowledge of a family history of breast cancer. When she first broke the news to her family, her mother insisted that no one in their family had ever had cancer.
Tennille started chemotherapy in May 2021. Five months later, at the end of October, she rang the bell, signaling the end of treatment. However, in the weeks leading up to this milestone, she started experiencing severe headaches. “They were intense, but I thought I could tough it out without medication,” she said.
A Worrying Sign
Right after she rang the bell, Tennille went on a short vacation celebration. When she returned home, the headaches intensified, leaving her in tears. “I knew I had to go to the hospital right away,” she recalled. At the emergency room, the pain worsened, and she felt nauseated.
“That’s when the doctor came in and said he called for an ambulance. I needed to go to another hospital. I asked him why, and he said it looked like I had a lesion on my brain,” she said. “They needed to send me somewhere that specialized in neurology.”
Metastatic Breast Cancer
The doctor suspected Tennille’s cancer had spread to her brain. Tests confirmed it had. “Just like that, I was stage 4,” she said. “The cancer spread through my body.” She spent two weeks in the hospital, and almost one month after she rang the bell, Tennille had brain surgery.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Tennille said. “Going from stage 2 to stage 4 within such a short time shows how unpredictable breast cancer is, and why it’s so important to stay vigilant after finishing treatment.”
Genetic testing showed Tennille was positive for a BRCA inherited gene mutation. “My doctor told me to tell my family about the test, so I encouraged everyone to get tested,” she said. Her mother also tested positive for the gene mutation, while her two sons, aged 31 and 20, were relieved to find they did not carry it.
For Tennille and her family, genetic testing underscores the importance of understanding family history and the role genetics can play in cancer risk.
In February 2022, Tennille had a double mastectomy. In August of that year, she had her ovaries removed as a precaution. She’s on several medications and has regular bone scans, MRIs, PET scans and blood work.
Importance of Mammograms
“I can’t stress enough how important it is to get your mammograms; early detection is crucial,” Tennille said. “Cancer is not a death sentence. It’s easy to let it consume you, and I’ve certainly felt depressed at times, but you have to get up each day, get ready and face the world. I have stage 4 breast cancer, but I’m still here, fighting every step of the way.”
Susan G. Komen would like to thank Merck for their generous support of the MBC Impact Series Program.
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.
