Young Woman Fights Breast Cancer After Medical Errors
Yelizaveta Ivanitskaya from Yekaterinburg was 26 when she felt a lump in her breast. Doctors said it was a benign growth and not to worry, but the lump began to grow rapidly. The woman underwent several operations to remove «pus,» and in June of this year, she was told that the lump was cancer.
Yelizaveta could no longer work due to the pain, but her relatives did not believe her and turned away. It took eight months from her first appointment with a mammologist to the correct diagnosis. During this time, the woman underwent many surgeries, faced indifference from her family, encountered medical errors, and received support from complete strangers — and now she has decided to share her difficult journey with E1.RU readers.
In this article, we present the patient«s perspective. Information about medical errors is her personal opinion, which cannot be confirmed due to Federal Law No. 323. It stipulates that such information, including the fact of seeking medical help, health status, and patient diagnosis, constitutes medical confidentiality.
Medical professionals and officials are not allowed to disclose this data to media representatives. For this reason, we do not provide the names of doctors who, in Yelizaveta»s opinion, acted incorrectly.
«Nothing bad, no need to operate. Just apply the ointment»
«I was taking a shower and felt a lump in my breast. It confused me, so I went to the doctors. On the breast ultrasound, they suspected fibroadenoma. This reassured me. A month later, the lump started growing rapidly, and I went back to the doctors. Shooting pain appeared,» recalls Yelizaveta.
She began visiting emergency rooms of various hospitals to show the lump that caused painful sensations. Surgeons examined the patient and diagnosed her with «purulent mastitis» requiring surgical removal.
Purulent mastitis is an infectious-inflammatory disease of the breast where cavities filled with pus form in the tissues. It most often develops in breastfeeding women as a complication of lactostasis (milk stasis), but it can occur in other categories of women, as well as in men and newborns.
The girl independently consulted an oncologist at a private medical center. Based on the biopsy results, she was told that everything was fine.
«But how could I have mastitis if I haven»t even given birth? So I went to an oncologist. First to a state one in Pervouralsk. He said: «Nothing bad, no need to operate, just apply a hormonal ointment, and the lump will go away.» That answer scared me, and I decided to go for a paid appointment with an oncologist in Yekaterinburg.
By that time, due to the pain, I could no longer work and started borrowing money from relatives. They turned away from me, made up stories that I was spending money on alcohol, cryptocurrency, that I was placing bets. That I was a drug addict. When I managed to borrow money, I went for another paid appointment,« says Yelizaveta.
At the paid appointment in a state hospital, they performed a puncture and said it was pus that needed to be removed through surgery. The girl was referred to Hospital No. 40, but there were no places available, so she was hospitalized in Hospital No. 20.
A puncture is the piercing of a hollow organ, cavity, or tissue with a hollow needle for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. The procedure allows for obtaining biological material (blood, lymph, joint or cerebrospinal fluid) for analysis or administering medication, as well as removing excess fluid.
«There, they performed an operation to »remove pus,« but the lump remained. They left an open wound on my breast 6–7 centimeters wide, as »purulent wounds are not sutured,« and the lump was growing right out of it. After discharge, the breast hurt more, and the lump continued to grow. I again sought help at Hospital No. 40, where I was also refused. They sent me to Hospital No. 7, where I was urgently taken to the operating room: they said, »purulent mastitis.« They cut me open again,» recalls Liza.
«Oh, it turns out you have a malignant neoplasm»
When the girl came to after anesthesia, the operating surgeon called her for a conversation and delivered the terrible news.
«She said: »Oh, Yelizaveta Rudolfovna, here the slides from your first surgery at Hospital No. 20 have come back, and it turns out you have a malignant neoplasm.« When I asked how and what they had removed then, the doctor did not answer and sent me to the oncology center. I barely managed to get a referral to them from my local oncologist,» shares Yelizaveta.
In medicine, «slides» refer to histological and cytological preparations on glass plates for microscopic examination of tissues and cells.
Over two weeks, the oncology center doctors rechecked all the tests, examined the slides themselves, and on June 26 announced the disappointing diagnosis to the patient — triple-negative breast cancer with a proliferation index (Ki-67) of 90%.
«This is a very aggressive tumor. The mammogram then showed it was growing in size. Doctors later explained to me that it wasn»t pus but fluid due to decay. I had terrible pain, and I was prescribed 12 courses of chemotherapy. Because the wound was left open, a metastasis appeared in my liver, and I was diagnosed with stage four. After four courses of chemotherapy, the metastasis was ruled out, and I was returned to stage 3B,« says the girl.
Stage 3B breast cancer means that the tumor (of any size) has grown into the skin or chest wall and/or metastases have spread to the axillary or parasternal lymph nodes.
The oncology center doctors gave the patient a referral to test for a mutation in the BRCA1 gene — and unfortunately, the presence of the mutation was confirmed. Liza«s great-grandmother and grandmother also had breast cancer, and she inherited it.
Earlier, experienced oncologist-mammologist Margarita Magdalanova told E1.RU that in cases where a woman inherits mutations in the BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB-2 genes, global practice recommends preventive removal of the breasts and ovaries.
«Under the compulsory health insurance system, we perform reconstruction with implants for women who have been diagnosed with cancer. That is, we preventively remove the second breast without a tumor and replace it with an implant. There are nuances and contraindications, and we always discuss this with patients,» explained Margarita Magdalanova.
«I said I had cancer, and they didn»t hire me«
Before the lump started hurting, Yelizaveta worked in marketplace warehouses, packaging goods. Then it became impossible to work, and she tried to get a remote job in customer support, but she was rejected.
«Since I needed to go for IV drips, I said I had cancer, and they didn»t hire me. I go to the hospital often, and I understand that employers wouldn«t like that. I live with my friend Nastya, her mother, and grandmother, and they support me — and I have no one else. My relatives didn»t believe me for a long time, then my aunt, who is a medic, decoded the diagnoses for them. I resent them deeply for not supporting me in difficult moments. I need support now too, but probably not from them,« said Yelizaveta.
When the girl learned about the diagnosis and faced such a reaction from her relatives, she withdrew into herself. Her friend suggested starting a blog to communicate and receive support — and Liza found solace in this.
«Who supports me now — it»s my only friend, with whom I still live, her mother and grandmother. She helps financially too. And, of course, my followers, they write very kind words of support to me. Some send money for the operation and for living expenses; thanks to them, I survive. Unfortunately, I have to use the fundraiser for groceries because I can«t live off my friend»s money all the time,« admitted Yelizaveta.
What comes next
A few weeks ago, Yelizaveta flew to Moscow for a consultation at the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology. The doctors said that the patient needs removal of both breasts and ovaries, that they can remove one breast under the compulsory health insurance system, and the rest — for money. They quoted her approximately 630,000 rubles for this operation (about $6,300 at current rates).
Currently, Yelizaveta is undergoing chemotherapy courses. She had to take a break because in early October, she developed angiopathic sepsis due to the placement of a PICC catheter during chemotherapy. The girl will continue chemotherapy on October 28.
Angiopathic sepsis is a condition where an infection develops directly in a blood vessel or heart chambers, causing pathogens and their toxins to enter the bloodstream directly.
A PICC catheter is a peripherally inserted flexible tube. It is used for long-term venous access to administer medications (including chemotherapy and antibiotics) and fluids, as well as for blood draws.
«I completed 4 courses of red chemotherapy, and now I»m undergoing 12 courses of white chemotherapy. I have 10 left, the next course is delayed because I developed sepsis and vein thrombosis. I was treated, and I will continue chemotherapy soon. After completing the courses, I will go for surgery at the Blokhin Center,« said Yelizaveta.
Red and white chemotherapy differ in the composition of the drugs and, consequently, toxicity: red is more powerful, often causing severe side effects, while white has a different spectrum of action and tolerability. This is an unofficial classification based on the color of the solution.
Due to the gene mutation, the patient will need to have her breasts and ovaries removed at the Sverdlovsk Regional Oncology Center. According to our information, no one has refused her help.
Appeal to all readers
We asked Yelizaveta to share with E1.RU readers the experience she gained from her treatment:
«I just want to wish everyone good health and to take care of yourselves. If you feel or discover something somewhere on your body — immediately run straight to the doctors. And I ask everyone not to stop at one opinion. There are many doctors. You need to visit many clinics, hospitals, and doctors to come to a consensus. If necessary — call Moscow, St. Petersburg hospitals, but don»t stop at one opinion.
I wouldn«t say we have free medicine. In any case, you have to spend money on something to get more qualified help and opinions. Unfortunately, there»s no way around it. But you are alone, and you need to take care of yourself,« shared the girl.
Earlier, Yekaterinburg women diagnosed with cancer openly shared stories of overcoming the illness. Also, a young Yekaterinburg woman shared how she fought the most aggressive breast cancer.
We previously discussed with doctor Yulia Zhusina whether cancer is hereditary, how to check if you are at risk of getting sick, and what tests to take. And mammologist Margarita Magdalanova showed on a breast the symptoms that should alert you: watch the video, it«s important. She also talked about how to detect and prevent breast cancer.
* The social network is banned in the territory of the Russian Federation.
