BREAST CANCER AT 32: TIFFANY’S STORY

At age 32 with a busy teaching career and an upcoming marriage, Tiffany Olsen of West Fargo didn’t expect to have breast cancer. Two years earlier, she had found a lump in her breast, but was told she had fibrocystic breast tissue, and it was nothing to worry about. As the lump got larger and more painful, Olsen sensed something wasn’t right and consulted another physician. Two weeks after her wedding, a biopsy and mammogram revealed she had invasive ductal carcinoma, grade 3, triple positive, which means female hormones estrogen and progesterone and the HER2 gene trigger cancer cells to grow. The good news was all three respond to treatment and her cancer was detected early enough for a positive outlook.

Olsen described the weeks following her diagnosis as a roller coaster of emotions. With her family rallied around her and new husband Nate at her side, she now faced an aggressive treatment regimen and big decisions. “I found that many of the resources and literature available on breast cancer focus on women over age 40. It’s so isolating as a younger person when you feel your issues, like fertility, are ignored.”

Fortunately, Olsen’s oncologist, Dr. Shelby Terstriep at Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center, made sure that preserving fertility was part of her treatment plan. “I’m so grateful for her,” said Olsen. “She’s so holistic in her treatment, and she knows how important preserving fertility is to young women like me. Nate and I are newly married, and we want to have a family someday.” But another roadblock was placed in their way when insurance denied payment