Patient Story: Lisa Fry

In the spring of 2020, Lisa Fry, 54, and a friend were talking about how they were both late in making their annual mammogram appointments. The COVID-19 pandemic was cause for concern but Lisa was determined to get her breast cancer screening.  She remembers telling her friend, “I got my appointment, did you?”

While Lisa, who usually works in telecommunications, was late for her screening, she wasn’t too worried about it. “There’s no history of breast cancer in my family on either side.” Lisa knew, however, that cancer could strike anyone at any time so she made an appointment for her mammogram at the Overlake Cancer Center. And she’s very glad she did.

Lisa’s mammogram revealed an area in each breast that warranted further study. Ultrasound showed that her right breast was fine, but she had an area in her left breast about the size of a pencil eraser that needed closer examination. She had an MRI followed by a biopsy that showed the small area of concern was in the earliest stages of cancer.

Lisa had a lumpectomy and the nearby lymph node was removed. After she recovered from the operation, Lisa underwent radiation treatments five days a week for one month.

While the treatments made her tired and she lost some weight, Lisa says that her experience with the Overlake Cancer Center was a positive one. Her cancer was found to be “estrogen-receptor positive” and she was prescribed a medication to reduce the risk of breast cancer from recurring.
 
Lisa’s one-year checkup was “clean, no cancer” and she will be followed closely by doctors at the Overlake Cancer Center. “I’m glad this was found early,” says Lisa, who wants other women to be sure and get their regular mammograms. “It could save your life.”