Gabriela Dabrowski's Breast Cancer Journey
- Canadian tennis pro Gabriela Dabrowski wants others to know that “early detection saves lives” after a lump in her breast led to her breast cancer diagnosis. After undergoing two surgeries, radiation, and endocrine therapy, Dabrowski admits it’s “a privilege to be able to call myself a survivor.”
- It’s unclear what type or stage of breast cancer Dabrowski was diagnosed with, but it’s important to understand that determining the exact type of breast cancer a patient has can help doctors find what’s fueling the disease — and can help them narrow down the best way to treat it.
- We admire Dabrowski for continuing to play tennis amid her breast cancer journey. People who work in the oncology field, doctors and social workers, have told SurvivorNet that they recommend working during cancer treatment if you can.
- The medical community has a broad consensus that women 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 start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.
Dabrowski, an Olympic medalist and WTA (Woman’s Tennis Association) finalist, shared her recent cancer journey on social media this week, admitting, “It is a privilege to be able to call myself a survivor.”
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Her cancer news began with Dabrowski saying, “How can something so small cause such a big problem? This is the question I asked myself when I was diagnosed with breast cancer back in mid-April.
“I know this will come as a shock to many, but I am okay and I will be okay. Early detection saves lives. I can wholeheartedly agree with this.”
Dabrowski recounted how she first noticed a lump in her left breast while performing a self exam in the spring of 2023, but a few months later her doctor informed her it wasn’t anything to worry about, so she didn’t grow concerned until she felt the mass was “a little bigger” in the spring of 2024
It was then a WTA doctor suggested she get the lump scanned. Dabrowski then explained what followed before getting diagnosed, “First, a mammogram where a machine squishes the breast to get a picture of the tissues.
“Second, an ultrasound to confirm what the mammogram saw. Third … a phone call from the radiologist reading the images, alerting me to a lump that did not look like a cyst due to its uneven edging and shading.”
She recounted the radiologist saying, ‘It looks ugly and I want you to get a biopsy immediately.” Thankfully, Dabrowski had a biopsy done that next day, with preliminary results saying it was cancer.
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Dabrowski continued in her post, “Fast forward through two surgeries at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, recovery, rehab, (coach) Patrick Daciek tossing the ball for me on my serve because my left arm could not raise high enough (this was 2 weeks before Nottingham).
“A slight delay in further treatment to be able to compete at Wimbledon and the Olympics, radiation + fatigue (between Toronto and US Open), starting endocrine therapy, ending the season on the highest note possible … it all seems surreal.”
As for why Dabrowski chose to wait to go public with her diagnosis, she explaining she wanted to “figure everything out and handle things privately with only those closest to me in the loop.
She later decided to share her cancer story and post on social media “to contribute to others in a positive or helpful way.”
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- How to Avoid False Positive Cancer Results in Women With Dense Breasts: Ultrasounds Used in Addition To Mammograms
Dabrowski continued, “The first thing I saw when I walked in to get my first ever mammogram was a flyer that said ‘Breast Cancer is almost 100% survivable.’
“My intentions in sharing some of my experience are to emphasize the quality of life one can maintain when cancer is detected early, when you have access to doctors and other healthcare practitioners who are highly skilled and dedicated to their craft, when you take care of your mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing, and when you surround yourself with people who truly have your back (and your front).”
WATCH: Sharing a Diagnosis
She also noted how she initially feared how her diagnosis would affect her identity but that has since changed, as she know feels it’s a “privilege” to be dubbed a cancer survivor.
Dabrowski concluded, “If you saw me smiling more on court in the past six months, it was genuine. That wasn’t always the case. While I have been actively working on improving my attitude for many years, through therapy and other guidance, my cancer diagnosis was the catalyst for more sustained change.
“When the threat of losing everything I’d worked for my entire life became a real possibility, only then did I begin to authentically appreciate what I had.”
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Understanding The Different Types of Breast Cancer
Although it’s unclear the exact type and stage of breast cancer Dabrowski battled, it’s important to understand that certain tumors are driven by hormones, or feature proteins that can help determine the best route of treatment.
- A hormone-receptor positive breast cancer is one that needs either estrogen and/or progesterone to grow.
- A HER2-postive breast cancer is one where high levels of the HER2 protein can be found on the outside of the cancer cells.
- A triple negative breast cancer is difficult to treat because it does not have any of the main drivers of breast cancer – the estrogen receptor, the progesterone receptor, and the HER2 receptor. This means hormone therapy won’t work. Chemotherapy is the standard treatment for this cancer.
Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer
When to Screen for Breast Cancer
The medical community has a broad consensus that women 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 start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.
WATCH: SurvivorNet expert, oncologist Dr. Ann Partridge discusses the challenges of diagnosing and treating treating aggressive breast cancers in young women.
For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, have dense breasts, have 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 age 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.
WATCH: Understanding the BRCA gene mutation.
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 should begin screening earlier.
RELATED: Is Genetic Testing Right for You?
Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening. 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.
Learning About Breast Cancer Treatment
Your doctor has many ways to treat breast cancer, including:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation
- Hormone therapy
- Targeted therapy
- Immunotherapy
WATCH: Choosing between a lumpectomy or mastectomy.
Surgery
Most women with breast cancer will have surgery at some point in their treatment. Depending on how far your cancer has spread and your personal preferences, you and your doctor may decide to:
- Remove just the cancer and an area of healthy tissue around it (lumpectomy)
- Remove one breast (mastectomy)
- Remove both breasts (double mastectomy)
Removing your breasts can have a dramatic effect on your self-esteem, which is why some women who opt for a mastectomy then choose breast reconstruction surgery. This is a highly personal choice, and there is no “right” answer as to whether or not to reconstruct.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses strong drugs to kill cancer all over the body. You may get this treatment to shrink a tumor before surgery, afterward to get rid of any remaining cancer cells, or on its own if you can’t have surgery.
Whether or not to have chemotherapy can also be a choice, depending on a woman’s age, type of cancer, and stage.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells and is typically used after surgery to lower the chance that the cancer will come back after treatment. Many women undergo radiation as part of their treatment, especially if they opt for a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy.
Hormone Therapy
The hormones estrogen and progesterone help some breast cancers grow. Doctors refer to these types of cancers as hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers. Receptors are proteins on the surface of breast cells that receive messages from estrogen, progesterone, or both, telling them to grow. Treatments that block these hormones may help stop the tumor.
Testing the tumor sample from a biopsy helps to determine whether hormone therapies such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex) or anastrozole (Arimidex) might work against the cancer. Women with breast cancer that is fueled by estrogen may take one of these drugs as part of their treatment.
Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy
Immunotherapy and targeted therapies are newer forms of treatment. Immunotherapy boosts your body’s own immune response to help it stop the cancer.
As their name suggests, targeted therapies target certain substances that help the cancer grow. For example, drugs like trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta) treat breast cancers that have too much of a protein called HER2 on their surface.
Working Through Cancer
SurvivorNet experts say working during cancer treatment, if you’re able to continue performing your regular duties, like Dabrowski has continued to do, can help your prognosis.
Doctors and social workers in the oncology field have told SurvivorNet that they recommend working during cancer treatment because work can establish a sense of normalcy in a person’s life.
WATCH: Working during cancer treatment.
It provides a needed source of income and reminds you that you have a life apart from cancer as a valued employee, a great boss, or a trusted co-worker.
A work-life also encourages regular contact with others. Sometimes, cancer can make you feel isolated and lonely, and being around people can be a great comfort.
It’s important to talk with your doctor before taking the big step of returning to work, whether in an office, a warehouse, or on a tennis court, in Dabrowski’s case. Some people can continue to work during cancer treatment, and those who need to take some time away.
It depends on the person, their cancer, and the treatment.
“Some women choose to continue working [through cancer] because working is a significant part of their identity, they enjoy the job, and there’s flexibility built in,” Laurie Ostacher, a social worker at Sutter Bay Medical Foundation, told SurvivorNet.
“I help folks think about whether it makes sense to work. If you don’t want to but are worried you’re not going to be able to make ends meet, then I’ll sit down and help them figure out, you know, with your disability insurance, would this be possible?”
No matter what, it’s important to do what’s right for you and seek out valuable resources like Ostacher if you need help deciding on the right course of action for working during a cancer battle.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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