Woman Diagnosed With Breast Cancer at Four Months Pregnant, See How She Kept Her Baby Safe

Alicia Harris discovered she had a high-risk type of breast cancer after doctors discovered a lump in her breast during a routine pregnancy checkup last year

Now, the mom and realtor from Tampa Bay, Florida, has opened up about getting diagnosed with cancer when she was just four months pregnant with her daughter and undergoing radiation therapy with PreciseRT, a targeted treatment that limits radiation exposure.

The doctors that I had with me, I call guardian angels. It’s like my team of angels that helped me bring my baby here safely,” Alicia told Bay News 9.
Despite receiving her cancer diagnosis amid pregnancy, Alicia remained positive and insisted in footage shared on social media that cancer would “not bring me down.”

We were in a situation, we were like, ‘Hey what are we going to do?’ Can’t really do surgery right now, the baby, anesthesia risk, etc,” said Oncologist & Hematologist Dr. Luiz Marconcini of BayCare Health System, where Alicia received treatment.

“So should we consider doing chemotherapy beforehand? Luckily, the data shows that in breast cancer and being pregnant, it is actually pretty well tolerated,” Dr. Marconcini added.

After Alicia’s doctor found a lump in her breast, a biopsy was done and later confirmed she had cancer. Next, Alicia made an appointment with Breast Oncology Surgeon Dr. Robert Gabordi of St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospitals.

Within six weeks of the mom’s diagnosis, Dr. Gabordi performed a lumpectomy and Alicia underwent two rounds of chemotherapy with Dr. Marconcini.

“I had both of my older kids at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, and I was very insistent that I didn’t want to get treatment at any other hospital,” Alicia told Bay Care. “I feel comfortable with how BayCare and St. Joseph’s operate.”

Despite Alicia’s fears, she trusted Dr. Marconcini’s treatment plan and reassurance that her baby would be born healthy.

After she gave birth to her daughter, she underwent two more chemo sessions and radiation therapy at the St. Joseph’s Hospital Cancer Institute, where she was one of the first patients to undergo targeted radiation from a new device. Now, she’s cancer-free.

“Alicia’s journey through her cancer treatment and pregnancy was remarkable and handled with grace,” Dr. Garboni said. “Seeing her hold her newborn in her arms cancer free is one of my proudest moments in my professional career.”

Alicia, who also has two sons and ended up naming her daughter Journi, took to Instagram a few weeks ago to encourage others to stay hopeful and acknowledge all that they’ve gone through.

“It’s been 1 year since I was diagnosed with breast cancer while I was 4 months pregnant. Don’t forget to look back, and recognize how far you have come. You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control the way that you handle it,” she wrote.

“Never be ashamed of a scar. It simply means you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you. Thankful to God for all that he has done and will continue to do for me and my family! ”

Although Alicia is now cancer free, she will continue taking medication for 10 years to prevent the disease from returning, as well as getting annual mammograms and checkups every six months.