Stage 4 breast cancer at 26: Cameron's story

When you meet Cameron Colan, age 26, “tough” might not be the first word you’d choose to describe her. Empathetic, beautiful, caring, selfless, gentle, funny and friendly, yes. But tough? 

As both a nurse at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and a stage 4 breast cancer patient being treated here, Cameron is redefining toughness. “I’ve always loved getting to know my patients and being there for them. And now, working as a cancer nurse while I go through my own cancer treatment has made me even more confident, courageous and determined to provide the best care for myself and our patients. I want my patients to know that I’m fighting this battle with them.” 

Finding her way to Roswell Park

Growing up, Cameron had a great role model for her future career. “My mom is a nurse, and sometimes when I was a kid, my dad and I would bring her coffee and she'd introduce me to some of her patients. Her patients spoke so highly of her. I saw the impact she had, and I wanted to follow in her footsteps,” Cameron recalls. 

While Cameron hoped to eventually work in pediatrics, Buffalo’s pediatric hospital wasn’t hiring when she graduated from nursing school. “My cousin is a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Roswell Park and told me she loved it there. I applied and was hired as a nurse on 7 East, the surgical recovery unit for breast, gynecologic, neurological and head and neck cancer patients. I soon learned that the 7 East team cared for my aunt when she was in that unit a few months before I started working there. I felt like this was a sign from the angels that Roswell Park was where I was meant to be. Unfortunately, my aunt passed, but now whenever I walk by the room she was in, I think of her.” 

Now, after four years, Cameron still loves her job. “In addition to my aunt, other members of my family have been diagnosed with cancer, including my mom's cousin, my mom’s sister, my uncle, and my dad and grandpa, who both have skin cancer and are Roswell Park patients. When I'm taking care of patients, I try to give the care that I would want for my family members. I love bedside nursing because I get to build a rapport with patients. I usually work the night shift when the ward is quieter, allowing me to talk with patients and get to know them better. In most cases, patients just want to be heard, and I am there to listen. I like to hear their stories: how they were diagnosed, who is helping to take care of them, what makes them happy, who they are fighting for and so on. I want them to know that I see them as a person and not just a patient,” Cameron says. 

A triple positive breast cancer diagnosis

Cameron became a Roswell Park patient as a result of her annual gynecologic appointment, where her care provider noticed a breast lump. After a PET scan and biopsy, Cameron was diagnosed with stage 4 triple positive ductal carcinoma , a type of breast cancer that tests positive for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and the protein human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Additionally, a bone biopsy showed that Cameron’s cancer had traveled to her sternum. 

Within days of her diagnosis, Cameron met with Roswell Park medical oncologist Varsha Gupta, MD, and surgical oncologist Jessica Young, MD, FACS. “The good news was that while HER2 positive breast cancer grows quickly, it usually responds very well to treatment. So, with my input, my doctors mapped out a plan for me,” Cameron says. “I eventually want to have children but because treatment regimens can damage eggs, before starting chemotherapy I was referred to Denise Rokitka, MD, MPH, Director of Roswell Park’s Young Adult Program and Oncofertility Program, to learn my options for fertility preservation. “I opted to have my eggs harvested and preserved for the future. After genetic testing at Roswell Park, I learned that I did not have a BRCA gene mutation, which is linked to many types of cancer, including breast cancer."

Next in Cameron’s treatment plan was chemotherapy every three weeks, followed by surgery and then radiation. “I was given options regarding my surgery, including a lumpectomy, a single mastectomy or a double mastectomy. I opted for a double mastectomy, to reduce my risk of recurrence, and undergo eventual breast reconstruction,” Cameron says.

Working during treatment

Did we mention “redefining tough” with respect to Cameron? For seven months, Cameron continued to work throughout chemotherapy treatment. “After each session, I’d recover for a few days and then work full time for two and a half weeks until my next chemotherapy,” Cameron recalls. “Some days, working was hard, but it also helped me to keep things more ‘normal’ in my life. I became more confident as a nurse, because I was going through what my patients were and I could better relate to their emotions and concerns. For instance, one patient was halfway through chemotherapy and I had just finished mine, so we were swapping stories. Like that patient, I was also bald. We shared some laughs and advice. I’m not going let this cancer change what I’m meant to be: a brighter light in our patients’ journeys.”

Moving forward: Mastectomy, radiation, reconstruction

As expected, chemotherapy shrunk Cameron’s tumors and in October, she had surgery, with Dr. Young performing the mastectomy and plastic and reconstructive surgeon Cemile Ozturk, MD, placing tissue expanders to slowly stretch the skin in Cameron’s chest to prepare for the implants. After surgery, as she was wheeled into 7 East for recovery, Cameron again felt she was right where she needed to be. “The team I work with on 7 East are not only my colleagues, they are also my friends and support group, and I knew I would have excellent care.” 

Cameron’s coworkers started a GoFundMe campaign to help with her medical expenses for when she eventually needed to take extended time off after surgery. “I can’t work right now since I’m not allowed to lift anything heavy or raise my arms over my head yet. Or, as Dr. Ozturk put it, I have to pretend I have short little T-rex arms that can’t reach out too far until I heal more,” Cameron laughs. Soon, she begins radiation and will have more procedures for breast reconstruction, including fat grafting to move fat from other parts of the body to the breast area and to replace the expanders with the breast implants. 

Cameron also will continue a combination of HER2 targeted therapies for several months, and a medication that stops her body from producing estrogen for five to 10 years. It’s a long haul, but Cameron does her best to stay upbeat. “I love nursing and I have an amazing support team of my family, my fiancé, my friends and my Roswell Park family. I also gain a lot of inspiration from the strength and stories of our patients.” 

“Some days are hard. But some days, you unexpectedly find things to laugh and smile about. I call the days you laugh ‘the cancer funnies.’ In September, I was in my friend’s wedding party and when her wedding planner asked how many hair and makeup services she needed, she said, ’Seven hair and seven makeup…wait, make that six hair.’ It was so small and silly, but hearing that story made both of us laugh so hard.” 

Some words of advice from Cameron

• Acknowledge your feelings and ask for help. “I’ve always known that I want to be a mother someday, so the decision to have my eggs harvested was easy. But when I made the decision to have a double mastectomy, I mourned for a time because I won’t be able to breastfeed my baby. That was something I had to come to terms with.”
• Get your annual screenings and exams. “At such a young age, I did not have routine mammograms. But I did have a routine annual GYN exam, and thankfully, that is how my cancer was initially detected, before it progressed even further.” 

Roswell Park has many support systems in place to help with the physical, emotional and financial impacts of cancer, including young adult programs, counseling, social work, spiritual care, physical therapy, pain management, sexual health, The 11 Day Power Play Resource Center, financial assistance, and more.