Michelle Molden's mission to empower women through breast cancer advocacy
Michelle Molden never imagined that she would face breast cancer or become a health advocate for women. As someone who was adopted, Michelle didn’t have access to her full family medical history, which made her especially vigilant about routine screenings, including annual mammograms once she reached the recommended age.
“I worked in a healthcare system for a very long time as a chief strategist,” she said. “I saw people getting treated and knew the importance of regular screenings and preventive care.”
Michelle’s screening mammograms always came back normal but included the words “dense breast tissue.”
“If I had known that this one little line added additional risk, I could have advocated to my doctor to get additional screenings to help catch my breast cancer even earlier than I did,” she said.
Dense breast tissue can make it harder to detect breast cancer through traditional mammograms. Michelle also had a history of cysts, which complicated self-exams.
Earlier this year, she discovered a new lump during a self-exam and immediately contacted her doctor. An ultrasound and an MRI revealed two tumors, one large and one small. She was referred to Dr. Amanda Morehouse Nguyen, a breast surgeon at TriStar Summit Medical Center, who promptly ordered a biopsy.
The results confirmed the tumors were malignant. Luckily, they were slow-growing and considered slow growing with an encouraging remission rate.
“Once the diagnosis came back, Dr. Morehouse Nguyen jumped in and started to make a care plan,” Michelle said. “She relied on genetic testing to determine the best course of treatment.”
“I finally felt like I had found an advocate in my care team,” Michelle said. “When I got the news, at first, I was numb and in shock. There is always fear and worry when facing your own potential mortality. But I started to work with the care team, and the strategist in me came out. I thought, ‘OK, I can now make a plan and manage the problem.’”
Michelle underwent the surgery to remove the tumors and started radiation at Sarah Cannon Cancer Network. She has just a few sessions left to complete her treatment.
“I was always invested in my health, so I never would have anticipated going through this experience,” she said.
Reflecting on her journey, she learned a valuable lesson: understanding your personal risk factors is essential and fighting for your health can make all the difference. She emphasized the importance of finding a care team that will fight right alongside you every step of the way.
“It can be a vulnerable time,” she said. “You need all your resources and support structure around you to support your journey.”
She encourages women to take charge of their health.
“You are the only one that can take charge of your health — know your risk factors, take preventive measures and ask questions,” she said. “A physician can intercede for acute matters and can be your partner, but you are ultimately the conductor.”