no regrets

Young cancer survivor is living life and spreading awareness

› By Cynthia McFarland

Just before her baby was due, Jessica Trombetta-eSilva found a lump while doing her monthly breast self-exam. She was young with no family history of breast cancer, so her physician wasn’t worried.

Nine months later while nursing her then 9-month-old daughter, Jessica realized the lump was still there. Doctors and technicians assured her she was “too young” to have cancer, but Jessica’s mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy revealed the mind-numbing truth: She had infiltrating ductal carcinoma.

The first week of April 2017, CT scans confirmed the cancer had spread to her liver. Doctors said it was incurable. Jessica was 30 years old.

had chemotherapy since studies showed exercise helped increase blood flow to the tumor, thus increasing treatment benefits.

After two rounds of chemo, another PET scan revealed her liver metastases had completely resolved and the breast tumor was markedly smaller and barely detectable. Jessica was deemed an “exceptional responder” to treatment.

Following four more rounds of chemo, she was able to start maintenance therapy, which means immunotherapy (intravenous medication) every three weeks. Every 12 weeks, she has PET and CT scans to monitor for new tumors and/ or growth of existing tumors, which would require additional chemotherapy, possibly surgery and radiation.

She’ll stay on two medications her entire life, so long as there’s no disease progression.

“Right now, I am termed ‘no evidence of disease’ (NED), but I will always have metastatic breast cancer, a disease that kills 113 women and men every day,” notes Jessica. “That’s 40,000 people a year!”

Jessica says family, faith and prayer have sustained her along this journey.

“Literally hundreds of people were praying for me. I really do believe that was a large part of my recovery.

“Fifteen to 20 years ago, people diagnosed with my type of aggressive cancer were lucky to live 18 months,” she notes. “New medications have lengthened that lifetime; now we’re seeing people with the same cancer still living 15 to 20 years after diagnosis.”

In September 2017, Jessica relocated to Ocala, where she practices general dentistry at Aspen Dental in Inverness.

Jessica vows to live with no regrets, loving her family and creating lasting memories with them. She remains determined to “choose happy” each day.

“My husband is my co-warrior; he helps me fight. There are moments I wonder if I’m going to see my kids grow up,” reflects Jessica. “Ultimately, I know they’re in good hands with him.”

She’s also dedicated to spreading cancer awareness.

“As a rule, screening mammograms aren’t done until you’re 40,” says Jessica. “More women in their 20s are being diagnosed with breast cancer. Young people and physicians need to be aware that cancer can happen at any age and take seriously fi ndings of a lump or other indications of cancer.”