Breast Cancer Diagnosis, June 2026
In support of
Stephanie and the Baker Family
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Stephanie and the Baker Family
Steph was officially diagnosed with breast cancer on 6/26/26 (happy anniversary indeed!). She is a devoted wife to Jim, loving mother of five kids (ages 14-7), enthusiastic early childhood school psychologist, and avid traveler, reader, and learner - in short, she has a wonderful life full of reasons to fight.
Steph was closely monitored with breast cancer screenings every 3-6 months following her mother Cindy's breast cancer in 2024 and sister Christie's breast cancer in 2025, and had clear and unremarkable mammo/ultrasounds April 2026. However, screenings are imperfect and missed this cancer before it spread to lymph nodes. This breast cancer is undetectable to sight, feel, or lower level screenings. It can be seen on MRI and PET scan, and was ultimately revealed in a June 2026 MRI following a suspicious supraclavicular (collar bone) lymph node Steph physically felt and noticed in late April/early May. At first we just thought it was a cold symptom or neck tension and stress!
It took a few weeks to schedule the first biopsy, which was puzzling negative, but an MRI was concerning. Late June and early July were full of follow up screenings including four total biopsies, PET, CT, and also biomarker testing so that the doctors can better understand the spread and type of this breast cancer, and target therapy treatments to fight this cancer efficiently. This is ER+, PR-, HER2+ breast cancer, stage 3c (spread to lymphs, aggressive with local spreading but thankfully not stage four). We welcome prayers that this cancer does not spread further, and are confident in the well-researched medical treatments available. Genetic testing indicated no elevated risk for Steph to develop breast cancer, despite family history (Cindy and Christie had different types and all three women were genetically negative for any/all known genetic markers including BRCA).
Steph was closely monitored with breast cancer screenings every 3-6 months following her mother Cindy's breast cancer in 2024 and sister Christie's breast cancer in 2025, and had clear and unremarkable mammo/ultrasounds April 2026. However, screenings are imperfect and missed this cancer before it spread to lymph nodes. This breast cancer is undetectable to sight, feel, or lower level screenings. It can be seen on MRI and PET scan, and was ultimately revealed in a June 2026 MRI following a suspicious supraclavicular (collar bone) lymph node Steph physically felt and noticed in late April/early May. At first we just thought it was a cold symptom or neck tension and stress!
It took a few weeks to schedule the first biopsy, which was puzzling negative, but an MRI was concerning. Late June and early July were full of follow up screenings including four total biopsies, PET, CT, and also biomarker testing so that the doctors can better understand the spread and type of this breast cancer, and target therapy treatments to fight this cancer efficiently. This is ER+, PR-, HER2+ breast cancer, stage 3c (spread to lymphs, aggressive with local spreading but thankfully not stage four). We welcome prayers that this cancer does not spread further, and are confident in the well-researched medical treatments available. Genetic testing indicated no elevated risk for Steph to develop breast cancer, despite family history (Cindy and Christie had different types and all three women were genetically negative for any/all known genetic markers including BRCA).
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