Chelsea’s Story: Diagnosed With Breast Cancer at 25

Welcome to The Breastcancer.org Podcast, the podcast that brings you the latest information on breast cancer research, treatments, side effects, and survivorship issues through expert interviews, as well as personal stories from people affected by breast cancer. Here's your host, Breastcancer.org Senior Editor, Jamie DePolo.

Jamie DePolo: Hello, thanks for listening. Being diagnosed with breast cancer is scary and anxiety provoking, no matter how old you are, but when you're in your 20s, a cancer diagnosis is the last thing you're thinking about. Many people have told us they feel alone, overwhelmed, and not sure how to handle the firehose of information that's coming at them. 

To help people in this situation not feel so isolated and frightened, I'm grateful to be joined by Chelsea Vangrol, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2024, at age 25. She's going to talk about her diagnosis and treatment and offer some tips and strategies for coping.

Chelsea, welcome to the podcast. I'm so thankful you're here.

Chelsea Vangrol: Thank you. It's an honor to be here.

Jamie DePolo: So, if you're comfortable, could you talk about when and how you were diagnosed?

Chelsea Vangrol: Sure. So, I actually am very thankful. Before I got diagnosed, I had been working at a breast imaging facility, here in New York, for about a year, I want to say. And where I work, we specialize in just breast imaging, but we also have a genetics team, and to go into like my family history, a little bit, my dad's sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at 40, and so, she had the genetic testing done, and so did his other sister, and they were both BRIP1-positive. 

BRIP1 is not known to be specifically a breast cancer gene, but more so for ovarian cancer. It's a little newer, so the specifics on whether or not it has anything to do with breast cancer is still kind of up in the air. But I got tested. I decided, why not, you know, I work there, it's accessible to me. It's right upstairs from where I work, and it came back positive for BRIP1. And then my gynecologist, at the time, decided to send me for a mammogram and an ultrasound, just to get a baseline.

I really don't have any other family history, other than everything on my dad's side. So, for me, I don't have, like, what you would consider a first-degree relative. So, I would still just start imaging at age 40. So, they weren't really comfortable with that. Again, I work there. So, I was thankfully allowed to get a mammogram. Usually, guidelines don't recommend it until you're 30. They would just recommend starting with an ultrasound. So, I had my mammogram. I was waiting, you know, for my results, took a couple seconds because I was right in the room. And there was some calcifications. So, we did some additional imaging, which I'm sure anybody who has calcifications is, you know, familiar with. And we did an ultrasound. 

Everything looked good on ultrasound, and the calcifications were considered, like, indeterminate. They weren't overly suspicious for breast cancer, but they couldn't be deemed 100% benign. There was a little group of them in my right breast. So, I had the option to do a six-month follow-up and kind of monitor them or do a biopsy. And initially, I decided to go with the six-month follow-up. 

So, I had that done before my 25th birthday in May, and so, I would've followed up in November. And then, after a couple months, I just had a weird…I guess you could say like gut feeling, and I decided, hey, I want to just do the biopsy, I just want to see what it is. I wasn’t concerned. I didn't really think it was going to come back breast cancer, and we did the biopsy in July, and the day after, I found out I had DCIS.

Jamie DePolo: Wow.

Chelsea Vangrol: Yeah.

Jamie DePolo: Can I ask you, like, I mean, clearly, you're very well-informed, and you studied, and you knew quite a bit about your options, but what were the first thoughts that went through your head. How did you feel, emotionally?

Chelsea Vangrol: I will never forget the day. So, I'm a medical assistant. So, I work directly with the radiologists, you know? They'll look at the imaging, and then I work with the diagnostics. So, if somebody comes in with a problem or somebody got recalled from a screening, I would assist in doing the ultrasound, and then if they need a biopsy, I would help with that. So, it was the end of the day, and I was in our assistance area where we just hang, like, the screening mammograms. It was just a normal day.

And I kept refreshing my MyChart, because I'm like I want to know what it is. Then I started to get nervous, like once I was like, oh, wait, there is a chance, like very small, but it could come back. And I just remember opening those results, and I just went numb. I had to get up and show one of my coworkers. I'm like does this say what I think it says? And she was like, yeah, it does. And then it's crazy because with MyChart, the patients usually get the results before the doctor does.

Jamie DePolo: Right.

Chelsea Vangrol: So, I walked right into my radiologist's room, and I was like, we need to talk. I was like I don't know what to do, and you know, she was amazing. She is amazing. And she, you know, talked me down. She's like, listen, it's considered stage 0, like, we’ll figure this out, we'll reach out to a breast surgeon, and you know, you're going to get an MRI next, we'll make sure everything looks good there, and we'll just kind of go from there. 

I remember feeling so numb, but more than myself, the worst part was having to go home and tell my dad. Because I'm…my dad and I are best friends. He is my rock. I would not have made it through any of this without him, and we were both just in disbelief. At 25 years old, you don't expect that result, especially when you're like, oh, it's probably nothing, like, this is probably just…it's my baseline. It's just something new we're seeing. But yeah. So, it was just…it was a lot, and still, to this day, it doesn't…I don't think it's fully hit me yet.

Jamie DePolo: Okay, so even a year later?

Chelsea Vangrol: Yes. Yeah, a year later, there's some days where I'm like, wow, like, I still can't believe it. Like, it still feels like a dream, almost.

Jamie DePolo: Right. Now, it sounds like your gynecologist referred you for the mammogram because of your genetic test results. Am I understanding that right?

Chelsea Vangrol: Yes. Yeah.

Jamie DePolo: Okay. So, and you work at a breast imaging center.

Chelsea Vangrol: Yeah.

Jamie DePolo: So, you have, what do I want to say, a little bit more in than perhaps some other people? Because I've talked to them, young women, and they said they had a hard time convincing insurance to cover a mammogram for them, at that age, just because of their age.

Chelsea Vangrol: Yeah, and to be completely honest, it wasn’t covered by insurance because I ended up having to get additional imaging, which then was deemed diagnostic. But even so, because of my age, because I don't have like the BRCA gene, and I don't have a first-degree relative, I don't think it would have been covered. And you know, it can get pricey. I mean, I'm very blessed. Like, my dad helped me with everything under the sun, financially. I cannot imagine being somebody my age who doesn't have that support and going through this, because it is expensive. Especially like I had a deductible. It was met pretty quickly.

Jamie DePolo: I'm sure.

Chelsea Vangrol: But yeah, so, insurance definitely would not likely cover it, especially under that age. I mean, even, I think, baselines, they don't really start to cover until 35, if you have no family history.

Jamie DePolo: Right. Okay, and what about your treatment plan? So, how did you move forward after that?

Chelsea Vangrol: Yeah. So, I had my MRI. I had it in the morning, waited for my results. Everything came back fine with that. It was just the one area on the right that was DCIS. I then met with a breast surgeon, who, again, was amazing, and he went over the different options. He didn't push me in one way or another. So, we obviously went over, like, I could have a lumpectomy.

I would possibly need radiation because what DCIS…it's kind of up in the air whether or not you get radiation, depending on the sizing of it. And then possibly like tamoxifen, so, like, an estrogen blocker. Or I could do a double mastectomy and not have to do radiation or an estrogen blocker. But I think the biggest thing for me was, you know, with my aunt's history, she had a double mastectomy. You know, she had invasive, the first time, and then she did have a recurrence, a couple years later. 

So, for me, it was more just peace of mind. I just want to get a double mastectomy and kind of be done with it, kind of put it behind me. I'll get reconstruction and kind of go from there. You know, it's a hard decision because, you know, I won't be able to breastfeed my children, if I have them. It doesn't feel normal. You know, a lot of people, I think, kind of go into it that aren't going through the situation like, oh, it's a free boob job, like, you're so lucky.

It definitely is not. Like, the scars are not pleasant. The drains are not pleasant, you know, but you get through it, and eventually, you start to feel somewhat normal again. But yeah, I kind of just did what I think would give me the most peace of mind. But from my understanding, there was no, like, big difference, I guess, in terms of the mortality rate was so low that that wasn't even really something I considered. And also, working in breast imaging, I unfortunately do see recurrences, you know, with lumpectomy sometimes. So, I'm just…I'm a very anxious person. So, it kind of made my answer pretty quick, and I was like I just want to get a double mastectomy, let's just get it done.

Jamie DePolo: Sure. Sure, and there's no, you know, there's so many treatment options, and everybody has to choose what's right for them.

Chelsea Vangrol: Yeah.

Jamie DePolo: And as you say, peace of mind was your biggest, I guess, requirement, if that's the correct word. You know, that was your kind of deciding factor.

Chelsea Vangrol: Certainly.

Jamie DePolo: I'm curious. I know like you weren't going to have…because you had the double mastectomy, you didn't have to take tamoxifen, but did anybody talk about fertility preservation with you? Because I know that's something that is important for a lot of young women, and sometimes, it doesn't get discussed, and you know, maybe it should be.

Chelsea Vangrol: No. So, I actually never even saw an oncologist. So, I went right from diagnosis to seeing the breast surgeon and the plastic surgeon to just getting surgery. I recently made an appointment with an oncologist because I had questions about whether or not I could be on, like, a hormonal birth control to help my cycles. And even then, I don't think we really touched much on the fertility part of it, because, you know, now I have a gene mutation. 

Now, I'm scared if I…my breast cancer was hormone-positive. So, I'm like, if I get pregnant, is this going to increase my risk of recurrence? So, it was kind of more of a, we'll get there when we get there type of thing. I'm not in a rush to have children. You know, me and my boyfriend, we know we want to have kids at some point, probably not for another five years.

But it's definitely something that I think is going to be a difficult road because, especially at my age, I feel like, personally, in your 20s, it's hard because then if I can't naturally have children, am I able to get, you know, IVF, or is that going to put me at a higher risk? So, there's still definitely a lot of unanswered questions. I guess I just haven't pushed too far into them because I'm not too concerned at the moment.

Jamie DePolo: Sure. That absolutely makes sense. And I think when we were talking about setting up this podcast, you told me you had your first set of follow-up imaging today, I believe.

Chelsea Vangrol: I did. I had a mammogram and ultrasound, and everything came back perfect.

Jamie DePolo: Oh, that's great. That's great.

Chelsea Vangrol: Yeah.

Jamie DePolo: I'm so happy for you. That's lovely.

So, along the way, like with the surgery or anything, did you have any insurance issues at all? I mean, I think once you're diagnosed, it's a little bit easier because then there's an actual diagnosis.

Chelsea Vangrol: Yeah. Yeah. So, from my understanding, I know my MRI was covered, and then in terms of surgery, it was really just meeting my deductible. So, my first surgery, we ended up meeting my deductible, and then for my…my plastic surgeon was great. I met my deductible after that surgery. So, we got me in like right at the end of December to get my implants placed, and so, that was pretty much covered, and that's about it. I mean, I didn't really have a lot of issues. I think, because I had the deductible, I wasn't even really paying attention much.

Because I was like, I know I have to spend this amount of money before things are covered, and honestly, like I said, my dad was helping me, so it was in the back of my mind. But I definitely feel like some people have trouble. I know I've heard other women who have had to go through different, like, chemotherapies and stuff, have trouble with after they hit a certain amount, it doesn't get covered anymore. Unfortunately and fortunately, I didn't have to go through that, so I'm not really sure how all of that works, but in terms of mine, I was pretty set.

Jamie DePolo: That's great, too. I'm curious, did you use any particular strategies to cope with, like, fear, anxiety, stress? I know people have different ways. Some people work out, some people meditate. Did you have a particular thing that you did?

Chelsea Vangrol: I cried when I needed to, and I just, I had an amazing support team. I mean, like I said, my dad was my rock. That man washed my hair for me. My aunt, who had breast cancer, she lives in Florida now, she flew in when I had my surgery. She helped me, you know, clean myself. She helped give me a shower after surgery. My coworkers always were checking in with me. 

All the doctors at my facility sent me flowers and checked in on me. I was just surrounded by so much love, and I just tried to be thankful. I tried to go through my days. You know, anytime I'm scared, hey, you did this once, if you have to do it again, you already know you can do it. You know, you have all these people, and it's just..my breast team was amazing. It's really who you surround yourself with. Before I got diagnosed, I was super into working out, and then that kind of went away because I was so scared of how is it going to feel if my implants…I honestly still haven't even really tried. 

I walk a lot now, but in terms of, like, weight lifting and stuff, I haven't really tried. But yeah, I would say it's who you surround yourself with and just trying to be thankful.

I will say something I still really struggle with, and I feel like not even so much people in their 20s, but a lot of women diagnosed with like DCIS, because it's considered stage 0, and because, you know, you may…most likely don't need chemotherapy or anything like that, is survivor's guilt. 

You can't feel bad because you didn't have to go through that stuff. And I think that's something a lot of us carry that did have DCIS, and I'm sure people in their 20s who make it out on the other side, and you know, bounce back easier from surgery because we're young, we're healthy, we have more resources, is that survivor's guilt and kind of trying to feel like you fit into the community and can understand the struggles of, you know, people who are moms or grandparents or people who have trouble with insurance, because maybe they retired. Maybe they don't have that accessibility that you do with a full-time job at a younger age. So, that's definitely something I'm still trying to navigate.

Jamie DePolo: Well, that's an interesting point that you make. But do you feel, kind of the flip side, do you feel that younger people diagnosed with cancer, are there some unique issues that you think you face? Or that people in general, like, diagnosed with cancer in their 20s, face?

Chelsea Vangrol: For sure. I mean, just to go back to the imaging, I feel like the guidelines are so rocky. Getting that mammogram, if you're in your 20s, getting that mammogram is going to be hard. You really have to, like, push for it. They'll start with an ultrasound, but things like DCIS, which are shown in calcifications most of the time, are only seen on mammograms. So, that's the only reason I got diagnosed. 

If I didn't have that mammogram, my ultrasound was clear, I wasn't feeling anything, there would've been no indication of me having anything wrong with me until I felt something. And I think it's really anxiety-provoking, too, for young people because there's not a lot of education around breast exams and what happens when you go see breast imaging. Any time I feel like I see a young patient come into the facility, they're pretty scared because they're feeling this lump.

And I think some people dismiss it, like, oh, you're young, you're fine. But it can happen, you know? I'm proof of that. There's a lot of women that are proof of that. So, just anytime you feel anything different, I would say push to get some type of imaging, especially if you're feeling a lump. It could just be something like your normal glandular tissue, if you have hormone changes, fluctuations in weight, you know, fibroadenomas are a big one, cysts are a big one, benign entities. It's hard, getting imaging when you're young, and it's hard to get doctors to take it seriously. 

There's even some doctors, still today, that don't consider DCIS to be cancer. They consider it to be pre-cancerous. And I feel like, a lot of the time, too, because we're not getting imaging, or you may not be aware of your family history, so you're not getting that mammogram, that 10 years earlier, or whatever the case may be, a lot of cancers, I feel like, found in people in their 20s is, it's progressed. 

You know, by the time you're feeling that lump, like, and that's hard to deal with. And it may not even come up until you're pregnant, or it may not come up until you want to get a breast reduction, so they send you for some type of imaging. Like, you may not even feel it. So, I feel like it's hard, especially with guidelines that, you know, they're there for a reason, of course, because it's not this super-common thing, but I feel like it's common enough where we got to push for things. You really got to advocate for yourself. I'm a big believer in that.

Jamie DePolo: Right. Right. Well, and one thing I always say is that breast cancer, cancer in general, it's not something you really learn about unless you're going through it or you have somebody you love is going through it. It's not, you know, it's not something people want to know about.

Chelsea Vangrol: Yeah, and I think it's something like 85% of breast cancers have no gene or anything involved with them. And unfortunately, it's true, but family history has to start with someone. You may, unfortunately, be that unlucky person.

Jamie DePolo: Right. Let me ask you this, about body image, because other young women I've talked to, some didn't, others did, they were unsure of how they looked or how they felt about how they looked, and especially like when it came to dating. I mean, you mentioned you have…it sounds like you have a long-term boyfriend.

Chelsea Vangrol: Yes.

Jamie DePolo: But did that cross your mind, at all, just how you looked?

Chelsea Vangrol: I remember I was pretty concerned. Like I said, I was pretty active before all this happened, and I did gain, I want to say, like 25 to 30 pounds just from the stress, the anxiety, being sedentary, all of that stuff, and it definitely has taken a toll. I wasn't too concerned. Like, I've been in my relationship for almost five years now. So, we're pretty comfortable with each other, and he was very, very supportive, you know, being whatever you choose, like, you could be flat and it wouldn't matter to me. And I still am in the beginning stages of my reconstruction. 

I had my implants. I had my fat grafting, but my fat grafting didn't take. So, I have rippling, and you know, my implants maybe sit a little lower, and I have the nipple tattoos, and those helped, a lot, feel more like myself. But it's an ongoing adjustment, for sure. I still don't feel normal, you know? I don't have feeling in my chest. So, it's like a phantom weight that I feel, almost, but it definitely takes a toll on you, and like I said, I mean, the weight gain was a big one. 

I'm finally starting to work that off now that I'm walking and active again, but it's hard. It's not easy, and you know, I'm sure people who have…who choose like the lumpectomy route, you go on tamoxifen, and I know that can cause kind of some weight fluctuations, too. And I had to go off my birth control, which also caused some weight fluctuations, as well. So, it's all an adjustment.

Jamie DePolo: Sure. Sure. Are there things that you'd like other people diagnosed in their 20s to know? That's one part of the question. Then the other part is are there things you'd like everybody to know?

Chelsea Vangrol: I mean, I think it feels very lonely when you're diagnosed in your 20s. And I would especially encourage people, you know, there's groups on Facebook, there's, you know, you guys, you know, Breastcancer.org. There's a lot of outlets to reach out and find a community. That was my biggest blessing was I didn't really have to search for it. I was already very surrounded by a lot of love and a lot of help, but community and just having people you can talk to. 

You're not alone. It feels like it, sometimes, because, you know, feels like almost everybody you know who's diagnosed with breast cancer is, you know, in their 40s, or they're older, and/or they're like your grandma, which is fine. I mean, it's all a very similar experience, just different stages of life. And I think my biggest thing for everybody is just advocate for yourself. 

Never be scared to say, hey, this just doesn't feel right, I know this one person's telling me one thing, and this person's telling me another, but you just got to follow what you feel, because if I didn't follow what I felt, I wouldn't have got diagnosed, because I wouldn't have a biopsy. So, I think that's my biggest thing, you know, make sure you find people that truly care about you, and if it's not your family, and if it's not friends, find a community. There's people out there. 

You know, we have such access on social media, TikTok, you know, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, I think it's still called, or X. I don't know anymore. I don't use it. But there's people out there that can help you through this stuff. I've made a lot of friends through Facebook, people diagnosed in their 20s or even early 30s that are kind of in the same boat as me. And it's been a real blessing, kind of being like, hey, I feel like garbage today, do you feel like garbage today? And they're like, yeah, these drains really, really suck today. So, that was definitely very helpful.

Jamie DePolo: Oh, that's good. Chelsea, thank you so much for joining us, sharing your experience. I firmly believe that this will help multiple people who may be diagnosed in this same age range. So, I really appreciate you being so open.

Chelsea Vangrol: Absolutely. I really appreciate you having me. It's been such an honor.

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