Surviving Breast Cancer in her 30s Transformed an Accountant into a Warrior

As Katie Ponte was just entering her 30s in September 2020, with a wedding to plan and a career in accounting keeping her busy, her life was upended by a diagnosis of breast cancer.

“No one expects to get breast cancer, but at 30 years old, I wasn’t even thinking about screening yet,” says Katie today. “Now I know it can affect women at any age.”

Katie vividly remembers the day when, drying her hair, she saw a divot in her right breast. Her first-ever self-exam followed, and she felt a lump. Her stepmother, a registered nurse, suggested she see her doctor. Katie messaged her NP Janice Sundnas, and was reassured to learn that she could get an appointment the next day. “This was during the peak of the second wave of COVID, and I was beyond grateful that I could be seen so quickly,” Katie says. “I wasn’t worried – yet – but was eager to get some answers.”

At the office, Janice examined Katie and, based on the results, Katie next underwent imaging at Southcoast Health Breast Care in Dartmouth: two ultrasounds and a mammogram. The following week, a biopsy confirmed the initial imaging results, and Katie was diagnosed with Stage II triple-positive breast cancer.

“The diagnosis absolutely flabbergasted me; it felt like a rainstorm suddenly broke out in my head,” she says.

A researcher by nature, Katie began learning about the current standard of care for the type of breast cancer she had and actively partnered with her oncologist, Dr. Susan Kim, on her treatment plan. Katie would receive six rounds of chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, followed by surgery and seven rounds of immunotherapy to eradicate any residual cancer cells.

But first, there were two important things in Katie’s life she needed to take care of, starting with postponing her wedding to October 2021. This was the second postponement; she and her fiancé, Ken, had already pushed back the date once because of COVID.

Then, Katie underwent fertility preservation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital to ensure she and Ken could have children in the future. This was critical given the potentially damaging effects of cancer treatment, and cancer itself, on reproductive organs.

Now fully focused on her treatment, Katie started chemotherapy. Dr. Kim guided her through every step of the treatment journey. “I began to think of her as my best friend,” says Katie. “Not only would I trust her with my life, I actually did.”

When Dr. Kim informed Katie that the chemotherapy was successful – significantly shrinking the tumor – Katie was overjoyed, knowing this would increase the chances of successful surgery. Based on her research, and conversations with her care team and loved ones, Katie opted to have a bilateral (double) radical mastectomy.

“I wanted to do everything I could to reduce the chances of cancer recurring in the future,” she says. “In retrospect, I know this was the right choice for me, and I encourage anyone facing surgery to learn everything they can so they can make an informed decision with their surgeon.”

Although the tumor was successfully removed, post-surgery scans revealed that a handful of cancer cells had spread to her lymph nodes. Fortunately, this was caught early, and after additional rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, Katie learned she was cancer-free on May 6, 2021, a date she now calls her “rebirth day”.

While she was in active treatment, Katie celebrated a truly joyous event – her wedding. Following Katie’s diagnosis, she and Ken had completely reworked their plans. Instead of a 100-plus-person wedding at a country club in Rehoboth, they gathered 15 family members and friends in October 2021 at her uncle’s barn in Mattapoisett for a small, loving celebration.

“What made our wedding even more special was being with loved ones who had supported me unconditionally during my months of treatment,” Katie says. “That also included my hairdresser, who created an updo wig that was so convincing even my husband didn’t realize it was a wig!”

In the four years since, Katie gets regular checkups with Dr. Kim and is beyond grateful to still be cancer-free. What’s more, her fertility preservation procedure was successful.

Surviving breast cancer inspired Katie to become an advocate and raise awareness of the importance of breast self-exams. “Women under 40 aren’t necessarily getting annual mammograms, which just makes it that much more important to pay attention to changes in your body and to know how to do a self-exam.” She began sharing her experience on social media and participated in the “Feel it on the First” campaign encouraging women to

self-exam on the first of every month. Her message? “You have to advocate for your health. If you feel something abnormal, talk to your doctor and ask to get tested. Early cancer detection can make all the difference.”

She also became involved with Camp Breastie, a support community for survivors, previvors (those at risk for cancer), Stage IV thrivers, and caregivers impacted by breast and gynecologic cancers. “Spending time with other breast cancer warriors inspires me to keep putting in the work of educating others about early detection.”

Katie’s experience even inspired her to change careers. Today, she is still an accountant, but now she works for a company that discovers early-stage oncology medicines – giving her a new sense of fulfillment in her work.

She is also preparing for a new journey – motherhood. Knowing they had successfully preserved embryos, Katie and Ken decided in 2024 that the time was right to start a family. They are expecting a baby girl in January.

“Being diagnosed with cancer was the most frightening thing I’ve ever experienced, but coming out on the other side as a grateful survivor, advocate, and now an expectant mom, has given me a new purpose that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”