Actress Crystal Lowe, 45, Says ‘I’m So Exhausted In the Best Way’ After 16 Rounds of Chemo and Breast Cancer Surgery. She Finally Returns to Work After Treatment

 

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For others just beginning chemotherapy, she offered reassurance. “There is a light at the end of what feels like an endless tunnel,” Lowe said.

Lowe, a mother of two, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in the fall of 2025.

WATCH: Stage 3 Breast Cancer Explained.

Stage three breast cancer typically refers to a relatively large tumor that may have invaded nearby skin or muscle tissue. It may also mean that lymph nodes near your breast and/or under your armpit are involved.

In most cases, stage three breast cancers will need chemotherapy. If the cancer is also hormone receptor-positive, aggressive hormonal therapy may be offered as well.

Lowe’s path to diagnosis began when she discovered a persistent mass in her right breast. Initial imaging didn’t detect anything concerning, but the lump continued to change, and her nipple became inverted, notable warning signs of breast cancer.

“In that moment, everything else fell away. At first, I thought I had sprained a muscle while working out. To be safe, I immediately went to my doctor, who ordered a mammogram and guided ultrasound, but found nothing,” Lowe said in an essay for People Magazine.

When she returned to her doctor, she heard the words no one wants to hear: “Honey, I can’t be sure, but this feels like cancer.” Days later, the diagnosis was confirmed.

Lowe remembers collapsing into tears after the call. But when it came time to make treatment decisions, she focused on reducing her risk of recurrence, which describes when cancer returns after initial treatment, and chose a double mastectomy, followed by implant‑based breast reconstruction.

“A double mastectomy typically takes about two hours for the cancer part of the operation,” explains Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at Mount Sinai. “The total length depends on the type of reconstruction.”

Lowe says she made her decision with clarity and confidence. “I’ve researched, talked to my doctor, and listened — mainly to myself — and I feel really good about what I’m going to do.”

Throughout treatment, she leaned on her family and her creative roots to keep her focused on the positive. Returning to directing has helped her reconnect with herself and one of her life’s passions: film and television.

“Finding myself again through the thing I love most — storytelling. I’m so grateful to be back in the director’s chair,” Lowe said.

Deciding When to Work or Step Back Amid Cancer Treatment

“We always encourage people to continue to work if they can,” says Sarah Stapleton, a clinical social worker at Montefiore Medical Center.

“I think it creates a sense of normalcy for patients.”

If you can work, you’ll be busy, and you may not be worrying about how your treatment is going, Stapleton adds.

Sometimes, cancer can make you feel isolated and lonely, and being around people for work can alleviate feelings of loneliness.

It’s important for you to have a conversation with your doctor before continuing to work during treatment. Ask your physician what you can and cannot do so you don’t disrupt ongoing treatment.

Remember, sometimes cancer treatment can cause fatigue, leaving you unable to fulfill your duties as you once could.

Fortunately, some on-the-job accommodations can make working during cancer treatment a little easier.

It’s important to remember that people with job problems related to cancer are protected by the Rehabilitation Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act. Others may also benefit from the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This law allows many people with serious illnesses to take unpaid leave to get medical care or manage their symptoms.

Your human resources department should be able to share with you your options.

In some situations, employers must accommodate a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless the employer can show it would be an undue hardship to do so. This could mean making changes to work schedules, equipment, or policies.

WATCH: Will my cancer get me fired?

Laurie Ostacher, a behavioral health clinician at Stanford Health Care, recommends cancer patients talk with their employer about accommodations they may need upon returning to work.

“Patients need to let their employer know [they’re] going to need some flexibility… Because there are going to be days when you’re not as energetic or feeling as well as other days,” Ostacher explained.

When some of these benchmarks cannot be met because you’re struggling with treatment side effects or your treatment schedule interferes with your work schedule, perhaps stepping back from work or reducing your work schedule may be ideal.

Ultimately, you should remain in constant communication with your care team about your plans to work – or not – as that can factor into your overall treatment regimen.

Better Understanding Breast Cancer Surgery

Dr. Ann Partridge, an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, says there are a number of factors to weigh when considering a mastectomy, chief among them is whether breast-conserving surgery (or lumpectomy) is possible. Your doctor will look at the size and features of your tumor as well as your family history in order to make a recommendation.

“When I talk to a woman who comes to me and she has breast cancer, I evaluate what the standard options for treatment for her are, which typically include cutting out the cancer– which is either a lumpectomy if you can get it all with just a little scooping around of the area that’s abnormal or a mastectomy for some women meaning taking the full breast because sometimes these lesions can be very extensive in the breast,” Dr. Partridge explains.

If you’ve had a mastectomy, breast reconstruction is one of the major issues to consider. There are several options available. The reconstruction process can happen at the time of the surgery to remove the breast or later on in the case of implants.

Some women opt for no reconstruction, but decide later on that they want reconstruction to restore a sense of self, or simply get back to the way they used to look.

WATCH: Breast Reconstruction: Regaining Your Sense of Self

“Breast reconstruction is about restoring both a woman’s form and her sense of self,” explains Dr. Andrea Pusic, Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. It’s a deeply personal decision, and today’s surgical options can create breasts that look natural and real.

Immediate reconstruction can produce better results than delayed reconstruction, resulting in fewer surgeries. However, it may require a more extended initial hospitalization and recovery time. This long surgery may also have a higher risk of complications, such as infections, than two separate surgeries.

It may be worth noting that “Delayed reconstruction has fewer complications than immediate reconstruction,” Dr. Terry Myckatyn, a plastic surgeon specializing in breast reconstruction, told SurvivorNet.

When implants are used, the procedure can take two to three hours (so the total surgery time would be around five hours). During reconstruction, one can also take one’s own tissue (usually from the belly area) and transfer it to the breast area.

After breast cancer surgery, women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer may also need chemotherapy, radiation, or hormone therapy.

Dr. Myckatyn emphasizes that the process is collaborative: “It’s a shared decision-making process between the patient and the physician. The patient needs to advocate for herself and make her goals clear. The physician needs to provide clear, logical, evidence-based explanations for their recommendations.”

WATCH: How some women may keep their breast size and shape in cancer surgery.

Plastic surgeons typically reconstruct breasts using either implants or tissue taken from another part of the body—such as the back, abdomen, or inner thigh.

This tissue-based approach, known as a flap procedure, often produces breasts that look and feel more natural than implants and can change with your body over time, for example, with weight gain or loss.

However, flap procedures involve more extensive surgery, longer recovery, and additional scarring—both at the breast and at the donor site. They may also weaken muscles where tissue is taken, and not all patients are candidates.

Women who smoke or have certain health conditions, such as poorly controlled diabetes, circulation problems, or connective tissue disorders, may not be eligible.

Implant-based reconstruction usually requires fewer surgeries, smaller incisions, and less scarring, allowing for a quicker return to daily life. The trade-off is that implants don’t adapt to body changes, which can make them look less natural over time. Implants also carry risks of leakage or rupture, which would require replacement.

Every surgical option comes with risks. Understanding those risks—and weighing them against your personal goals—is essential before making a decision.

Another aspect of breast cancer surgery involves the possibility of sparing the nipple.

WATCH: Understanding Nipple-Sparing Mastectomies

During a nipple-sparing mastectomy, doctors use special techniques to remove a woman’s breast, leaving the skin and the nipple intact. The idea is to maintain, as close as possible anyway, the natural look of the breast.

After a mastectomy, a plastic surgeon will use either an implant or the woman’s own tissue to recreate the breast. When a woman’s own tissue is used, doctors typically take it from fat in the patient’s lower abdomen.

“Nipple-sparing mastectomy, or nipple-preserving mastectomy, differentiates itself from the traditional mastectomy where the nipple was not saved,” Dr. Irene Wapnir, a surgical oncologist and breast surgeon at Stanford University Medical Center, explains to SurvivorNet.

“It’s the ideal procedure for those women who choose to have prophylactic mastectomy who don’t yet have breast cancer, who will choose that route because they have a strong family history of breast cancer, or if they’ve been tested and are a carrier of a mutation, a gene mutation, that predisposes them to a much higher risk of developing breast cancer,” Dr. Wapnir explains.

“Restoring sensation to the breast is really the final frontier of reconstruction,” says Dr. Dung Nguyen, Director of Breast Reconstruction at Stanford’s Women’s Cancer Center.

She is pioneering a technique that preserves key sensory nerves during mastectomy, allowing surgeons to later reconnect—or neurotize—the patient’s own nipple and skin. The goal, Dr. Nguyen explains, is to give patients a far better chance of regaining sensation after surgery.

Coping With Your New Body After Cancer Treatment

After breast cancer surgery, patients often struggle with the changes to their bodies that others can see, whether those changes are temporary or permanent, like hair loss and weight gain. However, survivors also struggle with changes that may not be as obvious — such as infertility — and these can create body image issues and make survivors feel vulnerable.

One way to prepare yourself for possible body changes during cancer treatment is to understand that changes are possible but also, frequently, temporary. This can also help build up your self-confidence. Your support group, filled with loved ones, can help you during this stage of your journey as well.

Psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin shares with SurvivorNet some additional tips cancer warriors can explore to help manage the emotional toll body changes can have during treatment.

Dr. Strongin encourages survivors to take ownership of the part (or parts) of their body impacted mainly by cancer treatment. She says that although they may represent “fear and pain,” they also represent “strength and courage.”

“Research has found that when looking in the mirror, we are more likely to focus on the parts of our body we are dissatisfied with, which causes us to have a negative self-view and lower self-esteem. Therefore, I would like you first to spend time gazing at the parts of your body you love, give them time, honor them, and then thank them,” Dr. Strongin said.

Dr. Strongin then suggests focusing on the part or parts of your body affected by the cancer or its treatment. She recommends creating a regular practice of accepting your body image because it helps you accept your cancer journey emotionally and physically.

“As you allow yourself to spend more time looking at all of you, you will begin having a new relationship with your body. It may not happen immediately, but with time, you can begin honoring and thanking your new body,” Dr. Strongin added.

Breast Cancer Symptoms & Self-Exams

Women are encouraged to do regular self-exams to become familiar with how their breasts feel normally, so when something unusual, like a lump, does form, it can be easily detected. A self-exam includes pressing your fingertips along your breast in a circular motion.

For some women, that means going to their doctor and walking through what a self-breast exam looks like, so they know what normal breast tissue feels like, so if they do feel something abnormal, whether it’s a lump or discharge from the nipple, they know what to ask and what to look for.

Below are common symptoms to look out for:

• New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
• Any change in the size or shape of the breast
• Swelling of all or part of the breast
• Skin dimpling or peeling
• Breast or nipple pain
• Nipple turning inward
• Redness or scaliness of the breast or nipple skin
• Nipple discharge (not associated with breastfeeding

When to Screen for Breast Cancer

The medical community has a broad consensus that women should have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should now start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.

The American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year for women 55 and older. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.

WATCH: When you’re getting a mammogram, ask about dense breasts.

Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before the age of 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.

Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.

Helping You With Questions For Your Doctor

To further help you on your cancer journey, explore SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool, “My Health Questions.” Not only can this powerful resource help you come up with helpful questions to ask your care team for an upcoming appointment, but it also offers so much more.

WATCH: How One Cancer Survivor and Her Sister Used “My Health Questions” to Navigate Care

This powerful resource, embedded across the SurvivorNet website, was built to bridge that gap by offering on-demand explanations of treatment options, clinical trials, side effects, insurance concerns, and more.

Users can ask questions conversationally, either by typing or using their voice, and receive answers tailored to their individual profiles. If patients don’t know where to start, we provide prompt questions to get them started.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.