HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – At age 40, when most doctors agree a woman should begin having her yearly mammogram, Lisa Osby-Gibson learned she had breast cancer.
"It was breathtaking for a moment to not know why and how this happens," Osby-Gibson said.
Osby-Gibson has a family history of the disease. The wife and mom of four daughters thought of her family as she discussed all available treatment options with her doctors.
"Because the type of cancer that I have -- they told me that six cycles to complete the regimen would be best for me," she said. "We ended it on Aug. 26, and now I'm scheduled for surgery Oct. 11."
Dr. Michel Velez, a breast oncologist at Memorial's Breast Cancer Center, said Osby-Gibson underwent neoadjuvant therapy. This is treatment, such as chemotherapy, given to shrink a tumor before surgery.
"In a good percentage of patients, we will decrease the size of the tumor," Velez said.
Velez said administering the treatment as a first step also minimizes the time spent in the operating room.
"How many of those patients can you get to surgery and find no tumor at the time of the surgery? Those numbers are between 50 to 75 percent, so they are very good," Velez said.
But not everyone is a candidate for neoadjuvant therapy.
Doctors say patients typically have a tumor above two centimeters in size and a more aggressive type of breast cancer, such as triple negative.
"The transition was really easy for me, because I had a positive support team," Osby-Gibson said.
Osby-Gibson told Local 10 News that she's glad her chemotherapy is complete and she can now focus on her recovery after surgery.
Her "team" includes her family, close friends and the doctors who are supporting her every step of the way.
"I tell myself that this wasn't about me," Osby-Gibson said. "This is for other people that are going to go through it -- to show them that it can be conquered."
