When 27-year-old Savannah Curry from Missouri found a lump in her breast, cancer was the last thing on her mind. She had no family history of breast cancer and thought she was too young to be worried about cancer.

Soon after discovering the lump, Savannah learned she was pregnant with her second child. At an appointment with her OB/GYN, she mentioned the lump and was told to schedule a mammogram. The local clinic couldn’t get her in right away, but within a few weeks Savannah noticed redness, skin changes and pain in her breast. Her doctor urged her to get it checked as soon as possible.

Choosing expert care for inflammatory breast cancer at MD Anderson

Savannah quickly had a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy, which showed she had inflammatory breast cancer. This is a rare and fast-growing type of breast cancer that needs special treatment.

As soon as Savannah learned she had inflammatory breast cancer, she knew she needed specialized care. She chose MD Anderson’s Inflammatory Breast Cancer Clinic, one of the few in the country.

“Even though I lived in Missouri, I was willing to go wherever I needed to get the best care,” she says.

Just days after requesting an appointment, she traveled to Houston. She immediately felt a sense of calm when she met her care team. “I felt this weird sense of peace,” she says. “I knew they were going to heal me, and I was going to be OK.” Her family decided to relocate to Houston to stay close during her treatment.

Treating inflammatory breast cancer while pregnant

At 16 weeks pregnant, Savannah began treatment with a plan carefully coordinated by her medical oncologist Azadeh Nasrazadani, M.D., Ph.D., and a high-risk obstetrician, who worked together to create a safe treatment plan. She completed 12 weeks of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy, followed by three weeks of paclitaxel. After a three-week break to regain her strength, she delivered a healthy baby boy in December 2023, then completed an additional nine weeks of chemotherapy.

Honoring MD Anderson through her son’s name

Savannah and her husband hadn’t chosen a name when she learned she would need to deliver in Houston. But as her treatment continued, she began to feel that the baby she carried was part of her healing.

“I truly believe my son saved my life,” she says. “I probably had the cancer before I got pregnant, but if it weren’t for him, I might not have found it so early.”

As her MD Anderson care team helped her safely through her cancer treatment, Savannah knew exactly what she wanted to name her son.

“MD Anderson gave me hope, strength and life,” she says. “Naming my son Anderson felt like the perfect way to honor that.”

Persevering through inflammatory breast cancer treatment and recovery

Savannah had a single mastectomy surgery performed by breast surgeon Susie Sun, M.D., and plastic surgeon Paul Shay, M.D., followed by radiation therapy under the guidance of radiation oncologist Michael Stauder, M.D. While her chemotherapy went more smoothly than she expected, radiation therapy proved to be the hardest part of Savannah’s treatment.

She received radiation therapy twice a day for four weeks. Between appointments and caring for a newborn and toddler, she often felt exhausted. “It was rough,” she says. “But I knew I had to keep going for my boys.”

Despite the challenges, Savannah found strength in her care team at MD Anderson. She credits her doctors, nurses and support staff for guiding her through each step of treatment, and her Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) counselor, Diana Guzman, for offering steady support when she needed it most.

“Diana was amazing,” Savannah says. “She helped me navigate everything and made such a difference during one of the hardest times in my life.”

Finding peace and gratitude after breast cancer treatment

Savannah completed radiation in June 2024 and returned home to Missouri, visiting MD Anderson for follow-ups every few months. “Some people get anxious about scans, but I feel the opposite because I know I am in good hands,” she says.

She credits her recovery to her care team and family support. “I finally feel like myself, and I’m so thankful for MD Anderson. They healed me and gave me my life back.”

For Savannah, her son Anderson is a daily reminder of hope, healing and the care that made it all possible.

Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.