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Originally published October 21, 2024
Last updated July 21, 2025
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In December 2021, 37-year-old Seal Beach resident Lauren Yerkes found a lump in her breast.
The chief merchandising officer at a Southern California apparel company, Lauren went to her gynecologist, who ordered a mammogram. The test didn鈥檛 show anything concerning, she says, and her physician told her that because there was no family history of breast cancer and she wasn鈥檛 40 yet, there was no reason to worry.
But a few months later, Lauren experienced another symptom, a nipple discharge. So, in early April 2022, she had an ultrasound and biopsy of the lump. This testing revealed an invasive, triple-negative breast cancer, a form of the disease that tends to quickly grow and spread.
She received the diagnosis three days before her 38th birthday.
鈥淚 was shocked,鈥� Lauren says. 鈥淚t was like someone had punched me in the stomach, because it came completely out of left field. I thought my life would soon be over.鈥�
After Lauren consulted with an Orange County breast surgeon, family and friends highly recommended that she see Louis A. Vandermolen, MD, an oncologist with , part of 喵咪社区, which has a clinic location in Newport Beach.
鈥淭he biopsy showed that she had the most aggressive, life-threatening cancer, which needs urgent treatment,鈥� says Dr. Vandermolen, who specializes in breast and lung cancer. 鈥淚n general, 30% of women with breast cancer will have this triple-negative type. With aggressive treatment, the chance of long-term survival is 70%.鈥�
He also recommended that she have genetic testing. It revealed that she carried the BRCA2 gene, which significantly increased her chances for both breast and ovarian cancer.
Lauren remembers the doctor speaking with her and her husband, Chris, for nearly 90 minutes during the consultation.
鈥淗e was very thorough, talking about what cancer means, the treatment plan and options, and recurrence and success rates,鈥� she says. 鈥淗e made me feel very comfortable and comforted.鈥�
Because of the threat posed by Lauren鈥檚 type of cancer, Dr. Vandermolen recommended that she undergo chemotherapy and immunotherapy before breast removal surgery.
Conveniently, she could get those infusion treatments just upstairs from his office at Keck Medicine鈥檚 Newport Beach facility, which Dr. Vandermolen describes as 鈥渃utting-edge, offering the best, proven therapies and new, investigational ones, with all the tools and staff required to treat these kinds of cancers.鈥�
He explains that Lauren needed whole-body infusion treatment because her type of cancer carries a high risk of spread throughout the body, and 鈥渟tudies have shown a better outcome if you do the therapy preoperatively.鈥�
I also want to give back to the breast cancer community, providing a glimmer of hope for newly diagnosed women under 40 that there is life after cancer. Lauren Yerkes, patient, 喵咪社区 Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
I also want to give back to the breast cancer community, providing a glimmer of hope for newly diagnosed women under 40 that there is life after cancer.
She began a scheduled 16 rounds of therapy, but it was cut to 14 at the end of September 2022 because of side effects she experienced to what Dr. Vandermolen describes as 鈥渁n aggressive, toxic treatment.鈥�
In early November 2022, Lauren had a double mastectomy, which Dr. Vandermolen recommends for women with the BRCA2 gene because there鈥檚 a high chance of the second breast becoming cancerous too.
鈥淎nalysis of the breast tissue that was removed showed no remaining cancer,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he pre-surgery treatment had done its job.鈥�
Then, in March 2023, Lauren had reconstructive breast surgery, followed by a hysterectomy in December, because her genetic makeup put her at up to a 35% risk of ovarian cancer.
Now, Dr. Vandermolen鈥檚 prognosis for Lauren, whom he describes as 鈥渧ery nice, smart, capable and knowledgeable,鈥� is very good. 鈥淏ecause Lauren has had a complete pathological remission, her chance of the cancer reoccurring is less than 10% throughout her whole body,鈥� he says. 鈥淪he is being monitored with follow-up blood tests, physical exams and periodic imaging.鈥�
In November 2024, Lauren will be two years cancer-free.
She says Dr. Vandermolen and other Keck Medicine staff have provided 鈥渁mazing care that has been thoughtful and attentive.鈥�
In addition, she says her breast cancer experience changed her priorities, prompting her to resign from her job.
鈥淏efore, I was focused on long work days and missed out on other things in life,鈥� says Lauren, who loves baking chocolate chip cookies and taking three-to-four-mile walks most mornings.
鈥淣ow, I鈥檓 more focused on being with my husband and family. I also want to give back to the breast cancer community, providing a glimmer of hope for newly diagnosed women under 40 that there is life after cancer.鈥�
Through social media and in-person meetings, she has been sharing her experience with and answering the questions of those women.
In Dr. Vandermolen鈥檚 view, such advocacy for other young breast cancer patients can be 鈥渆xtremely beneficial and helpful, especially when the advocate is someone who has already experienced cancer.鈥�
He also says that because younger cancer patients tend to have more aggressive forms of the disease, 鈥渋t鈥檚 important that young women tell their providers about any breast symptoms, and if diagnosed, they should seek care from a cancer team that will offer them cutting-edge and appropriately aggressive treatments.鈥�
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