Years before Paula was diagnosed with breast cancer, she had already started asking questions about her risk.
Breast cancer was part of her family history, and when an aunt was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and learned she carried a BRCA gene mutation, she encouraged other family members to consider genetic testing.
Paula took that family history seriously. She connected with Vanessa Prowler, MD, a breast surgical oncologist at TGH Cancer Institute | Lakeland Regional Health Hollis Cancer Center, and began seeing her regularly for breast cancer screening and monitoring. Over the next several years, Paula built a relationship with Dr. Prowler and kept her updated as she learned more about her family’s health history. That relationship became especially important in 2025.
Paula had a routine mammogram scheduled for later in the year when she noticed pain in one of her breasts. When she felt the area, she discovered a lump. Rather than waiting for her scheduled screening, Paula called her primary care provider. A mammogram and ultrasound led to a biopsy, which confirmed breast cancer.
Paula knew immediately who she wanted to call. “I built a relationship with Dr. Prowler for five years,” she says. She sent her biopsy results to Dr. Prowler’s office and says she received a call back within an hour. “Everything else moved just expeditiously,” Paula says.
For Dr. Prowler, Paula’s experience demonstrates the value of understanding a patient’s individual history and risk.
“Knowing your family history and understanding your individual risk can help you and your care team make informed decisions about screening and follow-up,” says Dr. Prowler. “Paula knew her history, stayed engaged in her care and, when she noticed a change, didn’t wait to have it evaluated.”
Paula began chemotherapy in December and completed her final treatment in June before undergoing a bilateral mastectomy later that month. Following chemotherapy and immunotherapy, Paula says she received news she had hoped for: testing after surgery showed she was free of cancer. However, her treatment journey is not quite finished. She continues to receive immunotherapy and follows up with her care team.
A minister for 30 years, Paula says her faith and community also helped carry her through treatment. Throughout it all, Paula says the people caring for her helped make the experience manageable. She remembers physicians checking on her and nurses who became especially dear to her. And her husband was beside her for every chemotherapy treatment. “They made the journey easier,” Paula says.
Today, Paula is using what she has learned to encourage other women to know their own health and family histories. Her family’s experience has made genetic testing especially meaningful to her. She has helped educate others about genetic testing, including organizing a seminar at her church.
Her support for other women has become practical, too. During treatment, Paula received head wraps, blankets, and other items from people who cared about her. Now, she is passing those things along to other women going through treatment. “My desire and my passion are pouring into other women, both with information as well as tangible items to help them through the journey,” she says.
After everything she has experienced, Paula hopes other women will take away a simple message: know your family history, pay attention to your body, and be willing to speak up about your care.
