Doctor diagnosed with same type of breast cancer she researches

Key Points:

• Dr. Jennifer Guerriero, a Harvard Medical School professor and breast cancer researcher, was diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer at age 43 after a routine mammogram, despite having no symptoms or lumps.
• She underwent a double mastectomy in August and emphasized the importance of early detection, noting her tumor would have been undetectable for five more years without screening, which could have worsened her prognosis.
• Guerriero is sharing her experience to encourage women to follow mammogram screening guidelines, which recommend biennial screenings for women aged 40 to 74, with earlier screening advised for those with a family history.
• Breast cancer cases among women under 50 are rising by about 1.4% annually in the U.S., and it remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in women aged 20 to 49; overall, it is the second-most diagnosed cancer among U.S. women.
• Guerriero’s personal diagnosis has strengthened her commitment to breast cancer research, particularly in developing immunotherapy treatments, as her lab focuses on improving patient responses to new therapies.