Behind the Breakthroughs
The Your Stories Podcast
Hear candid conversations between people conquering cancer – patients, their family and friends, and doctors and researchers working to help us all.
Behind the Breakthroughs
Intergenerational Impact
For some families, cancer is in their genes. But the genetic inevitability of facing cancer didn’t stop Hattie Sherman from conquering it. Hattie is a third-generation survivor of hereditary breast cancer, following her mother, Molly, and grandmother, Mary Ann. Fortunately, as advances in cancer research continued, each generation of Hattie's family experienced improved treatment options.
At 27, Hattie moved back to her hometown of Austin, Texas, for a new job opportunity. Shortly after moving, she felt a hard mass in her chest. Her mother—wary from her own experience as a breast cancer survivor—encouraged Hattie to get it checked. She decided to see her mother’s oncologist, Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, a Conquer Cancer grant recipient. After multiple tests, Dr. Patt diagnosed Hattie with triple-negative breast cancer.
The good news: It was treatable. Dr. Patt drew from sustained progress in cancer research––advancements made since the time Molly had been in treatment––to inform Hattie’s care plan.
Image (left to right): Molly (mother), Hattie (daughter)
At 27, Hattie moved back to her hometown of Austin, Texas, for a new job opportunity. Shortly after moving, she felt a hard mass in her chest. Her mother—wary from her own experience as a breast cancer survivor—encouraged Hattie to get it checked. She decided to see her mother’s oncologist, Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, a Conquer Cancer grant recipient. After multiple tests, Dr. Patt diagnosed Hattie with triple-negative breast cancer.
The good news: It was treatable. Dr. Patt drew from sustained progress in cancer research––advancements made since the time Molly had been in treatment––to inform Hattie’s care plan.
Image (left to right): Molly (mother), Hattie (daughter)
Your Stories
Generations of Courage
In this episode, Hattie, Molly, and Dr. Patt join Your Stories host, Dr. Mark Lewis, for a candid conversation about the intergenerational impact of conquering cancer. They talk about the turbulence and challenges that breast cancer brings and share why sustained support for cancer research is necessary for advancements in treatment to continue.
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I think why Molly and Hattie have been so great about being advocates and supporting cancer research is because we know that through investments in research, we have better answers, and we can empower [people] to have better lives.