A Complicated Breast Cancer Journey
- Entrepreneur Clea Shearer, 42, co-founder of the mega-popular home organization company and lifestyle brand The Home Edit, has had a frustrating experience on her breast cancer journey with numerous surgeries.
- Now on her eighth procedure, a complication with her breast reconstruction implant after being declared cancer-free in November 2022, Clea was warned by her doctor that there could even be a ninth, but she chooses to remain upbeat: “I’m a pro at this point!”
- Along with regular checkups and follow-ups with your medical team, it is important to self-monitor for any changes that arise after surgery and report any concerns, such as breast swelling, pain, redness, tightening, or a change in the shape of your breasts, and immediately contact your physician.
This week, the Netflix star of Get Organized with The Home Edit shared that her doctor noticed a wound located at the site of her incision, which was open to her implant.
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“And since it had to happen immediately, I wasn’t going to have time to mentally prepare,” she added, noting how she thought her last surgery, “Lucky number 7,” was going to be it.
“The scary part about today’s surgery is that there’s a good chance it leads to [a] ninth.”
Maintaining a Positive Headspace
Clea relayed that her doctor had warned her that swapping out the implant might not work, and to “emotionally prepare” in case she needs a “larger reconstruction that uses tissue from my latissimus dorsi muscle in my back,” she explained.
“The good news is that I’m a pro at this point … fingers crossed for a good outcome!”
Clea Shearer’s Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Clea’s cancer journey began on March 8, 2022 after discovering a lump.
“I found a lump myself the last week of February,” Shearer posted to Instagram at the time.
“I had been trying to make an appt with my OB(GYN) for several months, and even when I told them I found a lump, they couldn’t accommodate me. I had to request a mammogram from my general doctor, which led to an ultrasound and then an emergency triple biopsy,” she added.
Clea would later be diagnosed with breast cancer. She was initially told her cancer was stage 1, but during a nine-hour surgery in April 2022, doctors found cancer in one of her lymph nodes, which elevated the cancer to stage 2.
She was diagnosed with an “aggressive and fast-moving” breast cancer, but she thankfully caught it early. Clea had two tumors, one measuring 2 centimeters in size and the other 3 centimeters.
Clea’s First Surgery: A Double Mastectomy
Clea underwent treatment, which included a double mastectomy, which is the removal of both breasts, chemotherapy, radiation, and eventually, breast reconstruction.
Her first order of business with her treatment plan was the double mastectomy.
Surgery or Chemo First? How is Breast Cancer Treatment Order Determined”
“I woke up after 9 hours of surgery to find out the cancer had made it’s way into my lymph nodes, which would mean chemo and radiation were a necessity,” Shearer wrote to her followers.
Sadly, as she “was trying to digest that information,” another hiccup came in the form of necrosis the death of body tissue resulting from too little blood flow.
“7 days later, I had to go back into surgery for necrosis (my skin was not going to make it),” she wrote.
“But after my second surgery I started healing really well and made it through with flying colors.”
Then, during radiation, “I had some starts and stops,” she said. “I had to deflate my left breast expander so the radiation beam could hit my right side, I had COVID … nighttime sessions when no one was in the hospital …”
Breast Reconstruction: Implants vs. Your Own Tissue
Then in June 2024, she underwent a procedure to remove her ovaries, an oophorectomy, which can lower your cancer risk for breast and ovarian cancer. This marked her sixth surgery.
“For the time being, my uterus is staying put. She’s behaving, and removal doesn’t really impact my risk of recurrence,” Shearer said. “I’d love to say my surgery days are behind me, but I’ll be back in November for lucky number seven!”
Hair Loss from Chemotherapy
After Clea’s first round of chemotherapy, which occurred in May 2022, she experienced hair loss, which is a common side effect, and the reality TV star owned the experience during this emotional phase of the journey.
WATCH: Coping With Hair Loss
“Very short hair, and really don’t care,” she wrote in an Instagram post about a week after cutting all her hair off. “This first round of chemo has been a lot, both physically and mentally. It wiped me out for a few days, but it makes the good days feel that much better.”
What is comforting to know, is that the hair grows back quickly after treatment ends for the majority of patients.
“If you do lose hair, it will regrow several weeks or months after treatment,” radiation oncologist Dr. James Taylor told SurvivorNet. “Fortunately, for most patients, hair loss is not a concern when having radiation therapy.”
“TODAY IS A BIG DAY! For the first time in 2 years my hair is long enough to put up!!!” Clea wrote in July alongside a photo of herself showing her hair pulled back on Instagram.
“Not all of it…some of the back is still too short, but I am still thrilled nonetheless. Breast cancer has taken too much – you better believe I’m going to celebrate every milestone!”
Coping With the Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence
Clea has shared that she’s willing to do what it takes to reduce her chance of breast cancer recurrence.
“Once a patient has finished his or her active therapy for breast cancer, we will often refer to that time as breast cancer survivorship,” says Dr. Erica Mayer, a breast cancer medical oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
“This is a time when patients are still being actively monitored by their treatment team, not only to ensure that they remain healthy and cancer-free in the years ahead, but also to make sure that they have recovered from any side effects of their initial treatment,” Dr. Mayer continued, “and that they are pursuing healthy behaviors for example, getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and keeping up with all their other routine medical care.”
To reduce the chances of recurrence, patients are urged to:
Follow their treatment guidelines
- Limit alcohol
- Eat a healthy diet
- Exercise
- Maintain a healthy weight
When Should You Be Concerned About Your Implants?
Along with regular checkups with your medical team, it is important to self-monitor for any changes that arise after surgery.
If anyone with implants present the following symptoms, they should contact their physician:
- Breast swelling
- Pain
- Redness
- Tightening
- A change in the shape of their breasts
If you do find yourself in a situation where an evaluation of your implants is needed, you will undergo a physical exam and imaging studies “to evaluate the implant shell integrity, determine if there is fluid around the implant and visualize the implant capsule,” Dr. Dung Nguyen, Director of Breast Reconstruction at Stanford Medicine, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
Most breast radiologists can perform sampling fluid, as well, so that the fluid can be examined to see if there are any abnormal cells present.
“Surgical management includes removal of the implant and the surrounding capsule, which is sent to pathology to rule out atypical cells and/or cancer,” Dr. Cate and Dr. Jacobs added.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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