In March 2023, Real Housewives of Miami star Guerdy Abraira went to her doctor planning to schedule breast augmentation surgery. She left with a referral for a mammogram instead.
Her doctor had a concern. According to a report by Healthline, Abraira recalled her physician telling her, "We're not touching anything until you get a mammogram," because her breast tissue was unusually dense. That mammogram led to a diagnosis of stage 1B estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer in her left breast, a type of cancer that feeds on estrogen to grow.
The diagnosis stopped Abraira in her tracks. "You feel such a helplessness," she told Healthline. "[There's] a disbelief that you cannot get over for the first few months, you know? And then … you have to face the reality of it and then figure it out."
Abraira moved forward with treatment. In June 2023, she had surgery to remove the cancerous tumor. She then chose to have tissue from the tumor tested using the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score, a genomic test that measures the likelihood a cancer will return and whether chemotherapy is likely to help. The results indicated that 12 weeks of chemotherapy was appropriate for her case.
Doreen Agnese, MD, a surgical oncologist, clinical geneticist, and professor at The Ohio State University, explained to Healthline how such tests factor into treatment planning. "For certain types of tumors (ER positive tumors), genomic testing assays such as Oncotype or Mammaprint can help determine appropriate systemic therapy," Agnese said. She noted that decisions about chemotherapy and targeted therapies are typically based on the size of the tumor, the status of the lymph nodes, and the receptor status of the tumor.
Abraira also received radiation following her surgery. Agnese explained that radiation therapy is typically given to the remaining breast tissue after a lumpectomy, and that radiation to nearby lymph nodes is also recommended when lymph node involvement is identified.
The treatment was difficult. Abraira recalled not wanting to go through with chemotherapy on the very first day. "I said, 'I am not doing this,'" she told Healthline. Her husband Russell talked her through it. "And Russell looked at me, he goes, 'Oh, yes, you are baby girl; you're going to do this for me, and you're going to do this for those boys right outside that door,'" she said. "And that broke me to reset."
She developed a mental approach to get through the hardest days. "Close your eyes…you're gonna get through this tunnel," she said she told herself. "[T]hat's how visually I was able to say focus, focus, focus, look, the light is getting brighter."
Abraira recovered from treatment as expected. She described the experience as having given her a different type of strength and confidence. She was thankful, she said, for having access to the Oncotype DX test. "[I'm] thankful that I was able to actually utilize this test and be able to see the mathematics of it all," she said.