Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept/Oct 2020

www.CharlestonBrides.com | www.ChsWomenInBusiness.com | www.ReadCWomen.com JENNIFER HILL ATTISANO Jennifer Hill Attisano is quick to clarify that she doesn’t consider herself a breast cancer survivor, but more so surviving. “I have beaten all the odds for advanced stage four metastatic cancer, but even when my tumors are gone, I’ll still be battling,” she said. Attisano was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in October 2017, after a pea-sized tumor was discovered during an annual gynecological appointment. “I had done everything right, but nobody told me I had dense breasts. If you do, you need additional screening,” she cautioned. “Because I have dense breasts, my mammogram showed nothing, but an ultrasound would have. Every woman needs to ask.” Doctors believe she had the cancer for three or four years before it was detected. At the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, more testing revealed that Attisano had 18 to 20 tumors in her liver, and her cancer showed to be estrogen receptor positive. “It’s 100% hormone-driven. I am told never to put any hormone in my body ever again, as it feeds the cancer,” she said. Attisano underwent chemotherapy, but it didn’t work. Instead, the tumors were growing. MUSC’s affiliation with the National Cancer Institute connected her with other national cancer specialists and opened doors for her to do further testing, which eventually led her to being prescribed Kisqali. “It’s a chemo pill and letrozole. I now have no metastatic disease in my upper torso and only two small tumors in my liver. It’s a miracle to see my scans side by side from when I started this medication. It was full of tumors.” Because metastatic breast cancer is not curable, Attisano will be on medication for the rest of her life. She has monthly bloodwork and has scans every three months to analyze her tumors. “It’s about surviving, even if you’re not officially a ‘survivor,’” she said. “I chat with people at the hospital and try to be uplifting. Your attitude can make the symptoms worse, I believe. The day I found out, I started fighting with such vengeance. I’ve been a warrior; my attitude will not let this beat me.” Her battle isn’t over, but Jennifer Hill Attisano is proudly surviving metastatic breast cancer. Photo by Demi Mabry Photography.