(BPT) - Adrianne Jouet will never forget the sound: "Huh."
It was just one syllable from the mammogram technician, but in that moment, the 42-year-old mother of three knew something was wrong. When the tech started an ultrasound, Jouet immediately saw it too-a mass on the screen.
"Your mind goes to the worst place instantly," Jouet recalls. "But I also knew I'd been doing everything right-following my doctor's orders, getting screened every six months because of my family history. If this was cancer, at least we'd caught it early."
What followed was a perfect storm of challenges. Scheduling a biopsy during the height of the pandemic proved difficult. Then Hurricane Ida knocked out power across New Orleans, where Jouet lived, threatening to destroy her biopsy results. When the results finally reached her, they confirmed her fears: Stage 1 invasive lobular breast cancer.
Fighting Back
After a double mastectomy with reconstruction, Jouet faced the next phase of her journey-preventing the cancer from ever coming back. Her oncologist consulted the genomic testing results that showed she was unlikely to benefit from chemotherapy but confirmed she would benefit from hormone therapy, thus prescribing tamoxifen, a hormone therapy commonly used for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in premenopausal women, for five years.
"I can do five years. I mean, five years. It's a piece of cake." Adrianne thought. However, the side effects hit hard.
Hot flashes. Memory fog. Joint pain. Fatigue that made her marathon-running days feel like a distant memory. For someone who'd always been sensitive to medications, the daily struggle felt overwhelming.
She counted down the months. She pushed through the difficult days by focusing on the finish line. And finally, after four grueling years, she walked into her doctor's office with a smile on her face.
"I'm going to be done soon!" she told her oncologist, already imagining life without the daily side effects.
But her doctor had different news.
"I really think you should be on it for ten years," her oncologist said.
Ten years.
Jouet was stunned. She'd already endured four years, thinking the end was in sight. Now her doctor was asking for six more years-extending what she'd already committed to by double the time.
She trusted her doctor, but she needed more. She needed to see the evidence for herself. She needed to understand why ten years was necessary for her specifically. If she was going to commit to six more years of this struggle, she needed data-not just a recommendation.
The Data She Needed to See
Jouet knew she needed answers before she could commit to six more years. Through her work at genomic testing company Agendia, she was familiar with the MammaPrint® test-which examines 70 genes to assess a tumor's risk of recurrence. Studies have shown it can help inform a range of treatment decisions, such as identifying women who may safely avoid extended hormone therapy and those who may benefit from continuing.¹,²
She asked for the test.
"I wasn't doubting my doctor," Jouet explains. "But when you're four years into something incredibly difficult and someone asks you to double your sentence, you need to understand why. I needed to see the science behind it-the data specific to my tumor."
Her MammaPrint results came back as "Low" risk-a classification that confirmed what her oncologist had recommended: The genomic data showed that for her specific tumor type, ten years of hormone therapy would significantly reduce her chance of recurrence compared to stopping at five.
"Seeing those results changed everything," Jouet says. "It wasn't just my doctor's opinion anymore-I could see the molecular evidence. The test showed me exactly why those extra years mattered for my cancer. It didn't tell me something scary or unexpected. It gave me proof that my doctor's recommendation was right for me."
Choosing to Fight-With Confidence
For Jouet, seeing the scientific evidence transformed everything. What had felt impossible suddenly felt necessary. She wasn't just following orders anymore-she was making an informed choice based on evidence she could see and understand.
Armed with data, Jouet did the math. Six more years meant 2,300 additional days of side effects. But it also meant something far more important.
"The other 2,300 days that I still have, it's worth it," she says with conviction. "Why? Because of the risk of this coming back, I'm not willing to gamble that. I'm not willing to gamble missing a soccer game, or a cheerleading match, or a graduation."
The MammaPrint test didn't just provide scientific validation-it helped her see beyond the daily struggle to what she was truly fighting for. Every difficult day, every side effect, every moment of discomfort became bearable when weighed against the moments she refused to miss with her daughters.
A Message of Hope
Today, Jouet uses her experience to encourage other women facing similar battles. She knows the journey isn't easy-that some days will feel impossible, that side effects can steal your joy, that doubt can creep in.
But she also knows the power of having answers. The MammaPrint test didn't deliver bad news or add fear-it provided clarity and confirmation that helped her move forward with confidence.
"You have unbreakable confidence," Jouet tells other women with breast cancer. "You are stronger than you think you are. And whether you know it or not, you've already overcome your hardest day."
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Jouet's story reminds us that the fight against cancer isn't just about treatment-it's about empowerment. When women can see the evidence behind their treatment plan, they find the courage and conviction to face even the hardest days ahead.
Because sometimes, seeing the data for yourself makes all the difference in finding the strength to keep going.
To learn more about genomic testing and personalized breast cancer treatment, visit Agendia.com.
[1] Rastogi P et al. J Clin Oncol. 2024;00:1-9.
[2] van 't Veer LJ, et al. JAMA. November 2024.