My name is
Barb Sciandra. I am a 36 year old wife
and mother, most importantly. I am a
sister, a daughter, a niece, a friend and neighbor. Looking at me today, thankfully, you would have no idea what the last 2 and ½ years of
my life have been like – that I started chemotherapy treatments
one day after my eighth wedding anniversary, during the same week that my
oldest child started kindergarten and my middle child started preschool.
I felt a lump in my left breast at the beginning of my last
pregnancy but it was not seen via ultrasound and therefore, went undiagnosed
throughout my pregnancy. I had a difficult time breastfeeding
Cameron, my youngest of three children, and I knew that something was not
right. After being very persistent and
undergoing many ultrasounds, biopsies, mammograms and MRIs, I heard the 3 words
that no one wants to hear. YOU HAVE
CANCER. A light was finally shed on the
issue that had presented itself nine months earlier. I
was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer on August 17, 2012 at the age of 34,
just 3 months after the birth of our third baby and two weeks before I was
scheduled to return to work as a retail pharmacist after my maternity
leave.
My left breast was diagnosed as Stage III locally advanced
cancer (ER+, PR+, HER2+) and my right breast was diagnosed as Stage II (ER+,
PR+, HER2-). I was as aggressive as
possible when it came to treatment because I want to live a full life. I have too much to live for. I had a port surgically placed less than a
week after my diagnosis and started chemotherapy treatments to shrink the
cancer on my left side. After 5 months
of chemo, I underwent a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction at The
University of Pennsylvania. I had an oophorectmy
a month later, not because I am BRCA+ - I am actually negative – but another
type of genetic blood test called the CYP2D6 enzyme indicated that my body
might not be able to metabolize the drug, Tamoxifen, which is the standard of
care after chemo for ER+ breast cancer, to its active form. Next, I underwent radiation treatments for 6
weeks as well as a year’s worth of Herceptin.
Herceptin is an infused drug that is used to treat HER2+ breast cancer. I currently take an oral medication called
Femara because I am considered post menopausal.
I was extremely fortunate to qualify for a vaccine clinical
trial at the University of Pennsylvania which will conclude in February. This vaccine trial is run by Dr. Brian
Czerniecki and his team of researchers and is sponsored by the Pennies in
Action Fund at Penn. When I read about
this particular research while sitting in Dr. Czerniecki’s waiting room, I knew
that I needed to do whatever I had to do to become a part of this. I am considered at “high risk” for cancer
recurrence because my case was so involved and I knew, in my heart, that I
would be in trouble if I did not qualify for this vaccine.
I truly feel as though this vaccine is giving me a second
chance at life. I perceive this vaccine
to be something that will aid in affording me many, many more years spent with
my husband of ten years, Sal, and my three children – a seven year old daughter
named Jameson, a six year old son named Chase and a two year old daughter named
Cameron.
As a young
woman and a pharmacist, I have become extremely passionate about Dr.
Czerniecki’s research because I believe him as well as his research. This relatively non-invasive treatment is
something that every cancer patient should have the opportunity to
receive. Over the course
of the past ten years, Dr. Czerniecki has eradicated as well as prevented
cancer recurrence. His vaccine has not
had one case of HER2+ breast cancer recurrence which is just unbelievable. There are currently no other studies available with these
types of results.
Dr. Brian Czerniecki
with the help of Pennies in Action is making cancer history and I am honored
and thankful every single day that I am fortunate to be a part of it. It is imperative that his clinical research
efforts are kept moving forward.
Best
Regards,
Barbara A.
Sciandra, Pharm.D.
