Thriving with stage 4 breast cancer

For Ronica Lowe, the hardest part of breast cancer wasn’t losing her breasts — it was losing her hair. “I didn’t mind needing to have my breasts removed, but I was determined to keep my hair,” she recalls.

However, while combing her hair one day, a large patch of hair came out. It made her feel very emotional. “It was the moment when I realized I was no longer in control,” she says.

Her hair loss was the latest challenge in what had already been a difficult journey.

A difficult discovery

Ronica had a routine mammogram in December 2022. The radiologist recommended she come in for further imaging.

With life very busy, it took a little time for Ronica to make the appointment, which was scheduled for the following June. But before the appointment, Ronica felt a lump in her breast.

The lump was visible in the imaging, and a biopsy was ordered the very same day. By then, Ronica had started grappling with the idea that she may have cancer. “I was anxious, wondering what stage it was, what that would mean, and what would happen from there,” she says.

She got the call that it was stage 2 HER2 breast cancer, named because the cancer cells have a high amount of HER2 protein that leads to aggressive growth. It accounts for 15% to 20% of breast cancer cases.

“Suddenly, there were all these appointments to make, scans to get, and doctors to meet,” Ronica remembers.

Deciding on a plan

Ronica met with an oncologist to begin discussing treatment options. Unfortunately, that decision quickly became complicated. That’s because further imaging showed that a tumor had spread from the breast to a bone, meaning the cancer was stage 4.

“That was hard because they explained, at stage 4, my cancer was treatable but no longer curable,” Ronica says.

Ronica’s team of Sharp doctors, however, was optimistic. In discussing her case, they felt that Ronica, age 43, was young and otherwise healthy. Additionally, with only one area of cancer spread outside the breast, they could try an aggressive course of treatment that would include surgery to try to remove all the cancer.

“Ronica’s a very positive person with great family support, which really helps,” says Dr. Noran Barry, a surgeon with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group and affiliated with Sharp Memorial Hospital. “We laid out the options, and once she was on board with being aggressive, we moved forward.”

The treatment

Ronica’s treatment plan started with chemotherapy, hence her concern about losing her hair. She decided to try therapies to avoid hair loss that are effective for some patients. But when she saw her hair starting to come out, Ronica made a difficult decision. She asked her husband to shave her head.

“It actually turned out to be very empowering,” she remembers feeling. “I started calling myself Ronica 2.0. I showed off my new look for family and friends on a Zoom call, and for them, seeing me smile about it made them smile.”

After chemotherapy was complete, Dr. Barry performed a double mastectomy, the surgical removal of both breasts. Following surgery, Ronica received radiation treatment to ensure there were no remaining cancer cells.

“She’s had a fabulous response,” says Dr. Barry. “At this time, she remains in remission. We haven’t found any signs of active cancer. We feel really positive.”

Because Ronica’s cancer is stage 4, it is a chronic condition for which she’ll receive treatment for the rest of her life. She receives regular immunotherapy and copes with some post-treatment symptoms, such as tingling in her hands and toes. But most importantly, she’s back to enjoying her regular work and activities.

“She’s thriving and going on with her life,” Dr. Barry says.

Fortunately, Ronica’s hair is thriving, as well. “It grew back the same thickness, but curly instead of wavy, and I love it,” she says.

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