Theresa S. has faced breast cancer twice; she's currently undergoing treatment for metastatic breast cancer.
She's stayed positive through her journey.
"I bartend — our family has a restaurant, and I go on Fridays all day from morning until night. And there's a lot of people that come in that are going through stuff," says Theresa, of North Huntingdon, Pa. "(I tell them to) keep a positive attitude, and it's not as bad as it's you think it is. It's bad, but you can get through it."
Theresa's first breast cancer diagnosis came in 2016, when she lived in Maryland. Her yearly mammogram revealed a lump on her right breast. She underwent chemotherapy, a lumpectomy, and radiation therapy.
After moving to western Pennsylvania in 2020, Theresa returned to Maryland for her annual mammogram. This time, it showed a lump on her right side. Further scans revealed breast cancer again.
Theresa did genetic testing, which revealed a mutation of the CHEK2 gene. CHEK2 mutations raise the risk of recurrence for breast and other cancers.
After undergoing a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery in Maryland, Theresa went to UPMC Hillman Cancer Center for further treatment. She met with Dhaval Mehta, MD, who had treated her mother for lung cancer.
Theresa opted against chemotherapy but underwent over 30 radiation therapy treatments.
"My blood counts were all (good)," she says. "My cancer numbers were all good."
Three years later, Theresa went in for blood work in March 2023. The tests showed elevated CA-15-3 and CA-27-29 levels, which are important blood markers for cancer.
Nuclear medicine and PET scans showed a spot on Theresa's iliac crest, which is located at the top of the pelvic bone. A bone biopsy revealed that Theresa's cancer had spread there.
Since her diagnosis, Theresa's team has treated her with a combination of medication and hormone therapy. Her blood counts have gone down, and her latest scan showed no problems.
"Everything right now is good," she says.
Throughout her cancer journey, Theresa has relied on her family for support — including her husband, two children, parents, sisters, and grandchildren.
"My granddaughters, I see them just about every day," she says. "So, that in itself helps because I don’t even think about (the cancer) because I watch them grow up. That’s all I care about."
Theresa also relies on the expertise of Dr. Mehta and her treatment team at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Monroeville, Pa. She says she's become close with all of them.
“(Dr. Mehta) will answer my every question, no matter how silly you think it is," Theresa says "… He gives every patient however much time that they want with him. And he remembers everything."
Theresa preaches the power of positivity during cancer. She hasn't let her cancer journey stop her. In 2024 alone, she visited Disney World multiple times, plus Mexico and Aruba. She says Dr. Mehta has worked with her to arrange her treatments around her trips.
Theresa also urges people to go to recommended screenings and take other steps for prevention and early detection. She says she looks at the large number of patients when she goes to UPMC Hillman and wants it to be different.
“Whatever you can do to not have to go through it, (do it)," Theresa says. "(Dr. Mehta's) office is so busy all the time. I want him to go broke, actually, so there’s no patients having to go there. That would be awesome, and I know he would be OK with that.
“Knowledge is power," she adds. "The more you know, the better you're going to be."
Theresa’s treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.
