Lynette Bisconti

Concerned after finding a painful breast lump and feeling unusually tired for months, 34-year-old Lynette Bisconti visited her internist in December 1997. The doctor told her the lump was nothing and sent her home knowing that Lynette and her husband were actively trying to start a family. A few weeks later, the day after Christmas, Lynette and her husband were thrilled to discover she was pregnant. When in for a routine pregnancy confirmation test, Lynette pursued the lump with her OB/gyn. She was immediately sent to a surgeon for removal of what was believed to be a benign cyst.

The cyst was not benign. Just two weeks after learning she was pregnant, Bisconti was diagnosed with breast cancer. The surgeon told her that she must terminate the pregnancy immediately believing that the pregnancy hormones would fuel the cancer.

Two days after the diagnosis, she nearly miscarried. It was at this point that she decided if the baby held on, she was keeping it. In addition, she decided to take her time finding the right surgeon to perform a mastectomy. She also decided to become as educated as she could about her disease.

Three weeks later, just 10 weeks pregnant, Lynette had a mastectomy. The pathology report after surgery was not good—she had an aggressive cancer that had spread to several lymph nodes. She was advised to have chemotherapy and radiation. She kept asking doctors about nutrition, supplements, anything she could do to help herself survive—none had answers. After meeting with arrogant doctors and being told that she would not be a partner in her care, just a bystander, Bisconti chose not to be treated. She had, by this time, consulted with six physicians—all had advised her to terminate the pregnancy.

Then, on a referral from a family friend, she called Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). There she discovered doctors who would give her the time to ask questions and doctors who would take an interest in her personally as well as her family. She found a facility whose philosophy includes a whole body approach to cancer care including fractionated dose chemotherapy, psychoneuroimmunology, nutrition, physical therapy, naturopathic and homeopathic support. Most important, she found a team who would put her beliefs, desires and her survival at the center of the plan and allow her to be a full partner in all of her healthcare decisions.

She chose to be treated with fractionated-dose chemotherapy in her second trimester. On August 31, 1998, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Frankie. She chose to breast feed him for six months and then agreed to radiation almost a year and a half after her original diagnosis.

Today, she remains free of disease. She continues to work with her healthcare team at CTCA to give herself the best chance of remaining disease-free. She’s an active member of the Cancer Fighter program and a Cancer Fighter Advisory Council member at CTCA. She also communicates with her elected representatives regularly to remind them that cancer is a political issues and that a cure, quality healthcare for all, and progressive research need to be at the top of their priority lists.

Breast Cancer