Self-Breast Exam at Work For Denver Cancer Hospital Nurse, 30, Results in Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Speaking exclusively to People about what led to her diagnosis, McCabe explained, “I ended up getting referred to get an ultrasound. And then once I got the ultrasound, they were like, ‘Oh wow, that’s concerning-looking. We need to do a mammogram.'” Then, a biopsy of McCabe’s lump was taken from her right breast. One day later, she was informed she had cancer from her radiologist, who called her as she was boarding a flight to her brother’s wedding.

However, it wasn’t until a week later that she learned her cancer was invasive, and dubbed triple-negative breast cancer.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Holly McCabe (@hollymcbabe)

McCabe, who started her first round of chemotherapy (six weeks) at the end of September, is set to start her second round of chemo (12 weeks) next week.

Explaining to People, McCabe said, “That will end February 28th, and then I will need a double or bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. Then I’ll need radiation daily.

“After that, I think people often think that you’re done, but there’s a maintenance phase of immunotherapy that you receive for almost a year.”

McCabe also admitted to being grateful that her cancer journey has connected to others across the globe.

“It seems there are a large amount of young women fighting this. I didn’t realize that before having it, and I think that’s important to share as well. It’s a lot of young women,” she said, according to People.

“I do fear for my own life, and at 30, that’s not something I thought I would ever say.”

However, McCabe is handling her fear with the utmost strength and gratitude, as she hopes her cancer story will inspire others to check themselves and allow anyone battling breast cancer to feel less alone.

She continued, “I wanted to share my story because I found my lump in a happenstance way of a woman living her life. I just thought I could do that for someone potentially.

“And if I can’t do that, then I can make someone feel better about their day or make them feel less alone.”

Although McCabe remains optimistic, she admits, “I think being a nurse has put me in a complicated scenario. Having worked through the pandemic in the ICU, I have a solid background and some pretty deep knowledge of what could go wrong and what the end of life would look like.

“I understand what it would look like if this cancer happened to spread to my organs, which isn’t off the table. It’s been tough because of the knowledge that I have and how scary that is. And then also losing control.”

@hollymcbabe

My breast cancer diagnosis origin story – its a crazy one 🫠 If you have been diagnosed, how was it for you? 🫶🏻 #storytime #grwm #grwmstorytime #ihavecancer #breastcancerin30s #tnbc #tnbcwarrior #cancersucks #cancerstory #mystory #crazystory #Splice

♬ original sound – Holly

McCabe continued, “I love my job, I am really lucky to love my job, and I like helping others. And now I’ve been kind of stripped of that control and that honor and just been the patient where you don’t have any control and you are going through it.

“And I hope it makes me a better nurse in the future and I’m granted that opportunity, but it’s a pretty difficult situation to be in.”

In a GoFundMe page, which has raised at least $20,000 and was created to help McCabe with medical bills, the nurse explains, “I have triple negative breast cancer, stage 3, a rare form that only 10-15% of people get. It likes to grow fast and spread easily. They don’t know how it grows.

“Words like ‘you may need a clinical trial’ and ‘your 5-year odds are about 71%’ floated around. My genetic testing came back negative. We don’t know how I got it.”

She wrote in the GoFundMe campaign’s description, “If you’re reading this, I’m already grateful for you. Sharing this story has been a way to reclaim my power in a situation that has made me feel mostly powerless.

“I’ve been receiving chemotherapy for nearly 3 months. I need 6 months of chemo, a double mastectomy with reconstruction and lymph removal, and radiation. I don’t know yet what follows because it depends on how my body responds to therapy.”

@hollymcbabe

Chemo vlog: last round of my first phase of chemo! onto phase 2 now and “the red devil” chemo. #dailyvlog #chemotherapy #chemo #cancersucks #tnbc #triplenegativebc #breastcancer #colorado #ditl #cancerfighter

♬ original sound – Holly

Additionally, she revealed she had to take a break from working as a nurse, which is why she’s in need of financial help as she undergoes treatment.

“If you’re able, your donation will help me pay for my medical bills and living expenses during this hard season. Even with insurance (which I’m so grateful for), these bills have been accumulating,” she explained on the GoFundMe page.

“Finding my cancer when I did likely saved my life. If it had spread to other organs, my survival odds would be drastically lower. (Reminder: check your breasts!)”

How to Perform Self Breast Exams

Getting to know how your breasts look and feel may be one of the best ways to recognize when something is not quite right.

“When we think about breast cancer prevention and awareness, the first step is that women need to feel comfortable with their breast and know what their breasts feel like normally,” says Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and an advisor to SurvivorNet.

Here’s how, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation:

1. While standing straight in front of a mirror, place your hands on your hips and look at your breasts for any swelling, bulging, changes in shape of breast or nipple (inverted), redness, rashes, or any fluid leaking. Then do the same with your arms in the air.
2. Next, while lying down, use your right hand to examine your left breast and vice versa, while using your first three fingers to apply pressure. Ensure you cover the entire breast area, from your collarbone to below your ribcage and from your armpit to your cleavage area. Do the same self-exam standing or sitting up. Be sure to use light to medium pressure for the middle breast area and firmer pressure when feeling deep breast tissue.

Once you get the hang of it, Dr. Comen recommends you do it once a month after your period. However, it should be emphasized that breast self-examination is NOT a replacement for mammography.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Being aware of how your breasts normally look and feel is an important factor when it comes to breast cancer detection. Doing regular self-exams is one way to familiarize yourself with how your breasts normally feel so that you will be able to identify anything out of the ordinary like a lump or hard mass.

Below are some other symptoms to look out for:

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

Of course, these symptoms can be due to things other than cancer. For example, a lot of women experience breast tenderness during certain times in their menstrual cycles. If you’re worried, talk to your doctor about it. They may want to perform an exam, or even schedule a mammogram just to be safe.

The Importance of Breast Cancer Screening

Screening for breast cancer is typically done via mammogram, which looks for lumps in the breast tissue and signs of cancer. The American Cancer Society (ACS) says women should begin yearly mammogram screening for breast cancer at age 45 if they are at average risk for breast cancer. The ACS also says those aged 40-44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year, and women age 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year, or they can choose to continue yearly mammograms.

Getting To Know Your Breasts With Self-Exams

For screening purposes, a woman is considered to be at average risk if she doesn’t have a personal history of breast cancer, a strong family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase risk of breast cancer such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history including chest radiation therapy before the age of 30.

Beyond genetics, family history and experience with radiation therapy, 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 for developing breast cancer, you may need to begin screening earlier.

In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Connie Lehman, chief of the Breast Imaging Division at Massachusetts General Hospital, said people who hadn’t reached menopause yet should prioritize getting a mammogram every year.

When Should I Get a Mammogram?

“We know that cancers grow more rapidly in our younger patients, and having that annual mammogram can be lifesaving,” Dr. Lehman said.

“After menopause, it may be perfectly acceptable to reduce that frequency to every two years. But what I’m most concerned about is the women who haven’t been in for a mammogram for two, three or four years, those women that have never had a mammogram. We all agree regular screening mammography saves live.”

Understanding Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of the disease and accounts for about 20% of all breast cancers, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

What is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?

It is called triple-negative because it doesn’t have any of the main drivers of breast cancer, the estrogen receptor, the progesterone receptor or the HER2 receptor, and consequently doesn’t respond to treatments that target them. The main treatment for this type of breast cancer is chemotherapy, immunotherapy or participation in clinical trials.

If a patient has metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (it remains unclear what stage Samantha’s cancer was when she was diagnosed), the usual first line of therapy is chemotherapy. There are different chemotherapy options depending on the burden of disease, which refers to how sick someone is with their disease. Triple-negative breast cancer is usually responsive to chemotherapy.

“If the disease burden is not too great, meaning that a woman doesn’t have a lot of symptoms, we can often start with oral chemotherapy,” Dr. Comen previously told SurvivorNet.

In certain instances, a patient will become resistant to their first line of therapy and will have to switch to another chemotherapy. There are many different chemotherapies that are used for triple-negative breast cancer. There are also different clinical trials that may be available to patients.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

---