A new clinical breast cancer trial is changing the way some people are getting treatments.
Jeanine Dufour, from Monroe, loves spending time with her family. She's had so many special moments in her life, from her wedding to her children's graduations.
Dufour was living a happy and healthy life until back in March when she felt a large lump through her clothes and got it checked out. Doctors found a tumor that was 2 centimeters and had it tested.
"When it came back it was positive for cancer," said Dufour.
Her oncologist, Dr. Sara Dost, told Dufour about a breast cancer clinical trial at the Hartford HealthCare's Cancer Institute at St. Vincent's Medical Center. The trial for HER2+ breast cancer uses chemotherapy before surgery.
"Instead of doing six cycles you're getting four cycles of treatment," said Dost. "She did really well on treatment, kind of minimal side effects and the time went by pretty quickly."
In the clinical trial, doctors are looking to see if they can give less chemo drugs for a shorter duration of time, compared to the usual approach for HER2+ breast cancers, without compromising outcomes.
"I don't regret doing the study at all," said Dufour.
She says she just had a lumpectomy and some lymph nodes removed, but she avoided a mastectomy and is now cancer free.
"I'm blessed. I know I have the support of my family and friends," said Dufour.
She says she has to go through a few more treatments including radiation, but she says it was all worth it. Dufour can soon get back to doing the things she loves, like enjoying her time watching the New York Giants in person.