Three-Time Breast Cancer Survivor Chooses Faith Over Fear

When three-time breast cancer survivor Miriam Piñeda learned that she would need additional radiation for her latest diagnosis, her oncologist in Arlington referred her for proton therapy. “My doctors call me a walking miracle – I was tested for the BRCA1 gene back in 2012 and learned that I had inherited it from my father’s side. The following year, I found a mass and went through both chemotherapy and radiation for my second cancer diagnosis. This round, knowing that my body had already gone through so much, I chose proton therapy to protect my heart and lungs,” Miriam said.

Outside of scans and appointments, Miriam enjoys cooking, painting, gardening, restoring furniture, and volunteering in her community. She perfected new recipes throughout treatment, often bringing snacks to her care team on treatment days. “Cooking brings me so much joy and I wanted to give something back to the staff – a ‘thank you’ just didn’t feel sufficient after everything they’ve done for me.”

Throughout her journey, Miriam has remained positive. She believes that there is purpose in her third and most recent breast cancer diagnosis: to show others that no matter what they are going through, God has a plan. “My faith is a very important part of my life,” Miriam said. “I accepted my diagnosis with dignity and courage and kept living life to the fullest – that’s all you can do when you’re faced with cancer. Your perspective changes and appreciation for everything deepens, and I learned to lean on my loved ones on the hard days.”

For patients with cancer recurrence, proton therapy can be an ideal treatment option as it is highly precise and can be used as targeted therapy for tumors that have already been treated with traditional radiation. Proton therapy may be beneficial for several recurrent cancer types, including cancers of the brain, head and neck, lung, and breast. Breast cancer occurs in a sensitive area of the body with several nearby organs. Proton therapy for breast cancer involves targeted proton beams that deliver high doses of radiation to destroy cancerous cells, minimizing exposure to the heart, lungs, and healthy tissue near the breast. A patient’s hormone receptor status does not affect their candidacy for receiving proton therapy. Treatment for cancer is determined by many factors, including tumor type, size, and location in the body, whether it’s newly diagnosed or a recurrence, the tumor’s specific genetic makeup, and the patient’s overall health.

Miriam credits her faith and positive outlook for getting her through it all and says that she will miss seeing her team at the proton center. “I’m so grateful to have been treated at Texas Center for Proton Therapy. Dr. Sturgeon is incredible, and the entire staff has been so kind and helpful. Now that I’ve completed proton radiation, I’m looking forward to taking some more cooking classes and hope to someday start my very own catering business.”

The information included in this testimonial is based on one patient’s unique experience and is not intended to represent all patient outcomes or expectations.