Beating Stage 2 Breast Cancer
- Paige Sinicki, a professional softball player for the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, has returned to the field just eight months after being diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer, completing treatment and reclaiming the sport she loves.
- Stage 2 breast cancers are either larger than stage 1 tumors or have moved to a few nearby lymph nodes. Treatment will likely be some combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. If chemotherapy is also needed after surgery, the radiation is delayed until the chemo is done. The same approach is taken to hormone receptor and HER2 positive as stage 1.
- Reaching milestones during or after a cancer battle is a big deal. Milestones may include things like returning to work or a sport, ringing the bell or reaching another birthday, except they may mean even more than they did previously. Hence, it’s important to take them all in and celebrate all you’ve overcome.
- Remember, survivorship isn’t just a destination—it’s an ongoing process. From the moment someone receives a serious health diagnosis, their journey as a survivor begins and continues throughout their life.
The Nevada native, who starred at the University of Oregon before joining the University of Utah softball program and was later being drafted by the AUSL’s Portland Cascade expansion team, was diagnosed with breast cancer on November 11, 2025, despite having no family history of the disease, completed treatment this summer, and has now returned to play.
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According to the AUSL, Sinicki’s cancer-free news comes after the softball star underwent underwent surgery followed by eight rounds of chemotherapy, all while continuing to train and stay involved in her beloved sport.
Sinicki began radiation therapy at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Utah in June 2026 and received clearance to resume practice just weeks later.
On July 7, 2026, Sinicki was cleared to come off the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s temporary inactive list and made her return to competition, wearing a protective chest guard to provide support and protection over her surgical site.
In a heartwarming post, shared by official AUSL reporter and sports broadcaster Savanna Collins, Sinicki was seen in the days leading up to her big return.
“Paige Sinicki will suit up for the first time this season now cancer-free and ready to take the field with the Cascade. This story aired at the beginning of June. Paige was reinstated to the Cascade’s active roster on July 7th,” Collins captioned the post.
“Her first game available will be vs the Blaze on Tuesday.”
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Sinicki also took to Instagram to honor herself after beating breast cancer, writing alongside footage recapping her health journey, “So so incredibly grateful for my family and my friends who have been with me and continue to be with me every step of this journey. Thank you God for bringing me to Utah where I have and will continue to get the best care from the best doctors at the Huntsman Cancer Institute!
“I have not and will continue to not let cancer define my story. Love you all. Nothing can take you away from the things you want and love most in life. Stayed tuned for more exciting news soon.”
In the video clip, reflecting on the past year, Sinicki described a journey of incredible highs followed by one of the most difficult challenges of her life.
“God has given me the strength to attack each day in front of me. From the day I was diagnosed, I wrote on a sticky note, one for one. One for one, because what a blessing it is to take each day, each hour, each second, and each moment one at a time,” she explained.
“I choose to attack each moment with gratitude, heart, growth, and grit because I know that’s what it takes for me to beat this. I get to write my story, and I choose to write it this way because no struggle is big enough to take you away from what you want most. Cancer has not and will not take away from the things I love.”
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Learning About Stage 2 Breast Cancer & Breast Cancer Treatment
Stage 2 breast cancers are either larger than stage 1 tumors or have moved to a few nearby lymph nodes. Treatment will likely be some combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. If chemotherapy is also needed after surgery, the radiation is delayed until the chemo is done.
For anyone battling breast cancer, it’s important to understand that your doctor has many ways to treat breast cancer, including:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation
- Hormone therapy
- Targeted therapy
- Immunotherapy
‘It’s important to understand why your doctor is recommending a particular type of treatment,’ says Dr. Jessica Tao
Surgery
Most women with breast cancer will have surgery at some point in their treatment. Depending on how far your cancer has spread and your personal preferences, you and your doctor may decide to:
- Remove just the cancer and an area of healthy tissue around it (lumpectomy)
- Remove one breast (mastectomy)
- Remove both breasts (double mastectomy)
Removing your breasts can have a dramatic effect on your self-esteem, which is why some women who opt for a mastectomy then choose breast reconstruction surgery. This is a highly personal choice, and there is no “right” answer as to whether or not to reconstruct.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses strong drugs to kill cancer all over the body. You may get this treatment to shrink a tumor before surgery, afterward to get rid of any remaining cancer cells, or on its own if you can’t have surgery.
Whether or not to have chemotherapy can also be a choice, depending on a woman’s age, type of cancer, and stage.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells and is typically used after surgery to lower the chance that the cancer will come back after treatment. Many women undergo radiation as part of their treatment, especially if they opt for a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy.
Hormone Therapy
The hormones estrogen and progesterone help some breast cancers grow. Doctors refer to these types of cancers as hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers. Receptors are proteins on the surface of breast cells that receive messages from estrogen, progesterone, or both, telling them to grow. Treatments that block these hormones may help stop the tumor.
Testing the tumor sample from a biopsy helps to determine whether hormone therapies such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex) or anastrozole (Arimidex) might work against the cancer. Women with breast cancer that is fueled by estrogen may take one of these drugs as part of their treatment.
Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy
Immunotherapy and targeted therapies are newer forms of treatment. Immunotherapy boosts your body’s own immune response to help it stop the cancer.
As their name suggests, targeted therapies target certain substances that help the cancer grow. For example, drugs like trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta) treat breast cancers that have too much of a protein called HER2 on their surface.
Breast Cancer Screenings
As for breast cancer screenings, a mammogram is the primary test doctors use to check for breast cancer. The wide consensus is that women should have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54.
And while leading organizations like the American Cancer Society say women should have the option to begin annual screenings between 40 and 45, there is some disagreement among doctors as to whether this is beneficial.
For example, after saying for years that women shouldn’t begin mammograms until 50, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently changed their guidelines to say that women of average risk should begin at 40.
Expert Breast Cancer Resources
- Mammograms Are Still the Best Tool for Detecting Breast Cancer — A Warning About Thermography
- Earlier Mammograms for Black Women May Reduce Breast Cancer Mortality Disparity Rates By 57%; How to Screen for this Disease
- New Guidelines Say Many Women Under 50 Can Skip Mammograms. That May Not Be The Best Advice
- 6 Common Excuses for Skipping a Mammogram That You Need to Stop Using!
- Bi-Annual Mammograms At Age 40 Now Recommended For Most Women, What The New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Mean For You
- Breast Cancer: Introduction to Prevention & Screening
Dr. Connie Lehman, a diagnostic radiologist who specializes in breast cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, says when you begin mammograms is a decision you should discuss with your doctor, as they can help you understand your specific circumstances and weigh the benefits and potential risks of earlier screening.
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Your mammogram results may lead your doctor to recommend further testing with a diagnostic mammogram, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). If these tests suggest changes that might be cancer, you’ll need a biopsy a test in which your doctor removes a small sample of tissue and has it checked for cancer in a lab.
Only a biopsy can confirm or rule out whether you have breast cancer.
Although it can be frightening to go through breast cancer testing, SurvivorNet’s doctors say not to fret. It’s possible for a biopsy to find that a lump is benign or not cancerous.
If you do receive a breast cancer diagnosis, you’ll learn what type of breast cancer you have and the stage of the disease. The stage means how far in your body the cancer has spread.
Though most breast cancers are not linked to inherited genetic mutations, knowing whether you have a mutation could affect the type of treatment you get. SurvivorNet experts recommend all women who are diagnosed with breast cancer be given genetic testing.
Based on your test results, preferences, and personal circumstances (such as your age), you and your doctor will make decisions about how to proceed with treatment, which we have plenty of expert resources on.
What You Need to Know About Survivorship
Whether you’re beginning your journey into survivorship or are a seasoned survivor, you’ll quickly learn that it’s a term with many layers. At its simplest, ‘survivorship’ signifies the state of living beyond a challenging event or diagnosis, such as cancer. More specifically, it marks the period after treatment where a patient goes from merely surviving to thriving, as they navigate their newfound lease on life.
It’s important to remember that survivorship isn’t just an end state – it’s a continuous journey. It begins the moment a person is diagnosed with a significant health condition and continues throughout their life. You might hear people say things like, “from the moment of diagnosis, you become a survivor.”
It’s a powerful sentiment that reflects the courage and resilience involved in battling a serious illness.
Being a survivor also means redefining your life while coping with the aftermath of disease and its treatment. This phase might include the challenge of dealing with physical and emotional changes, attending regular check-ups, the fear of recurrence, or the need for long-term medication. Despite these hurdles, many survivors find unique strength, growth, and transformation during this time.
Survivorship is much more than just the absence of disease—it’s a new stage of life, a rite of passage. Your journey might not have been one you would have chosen, but through it, you’ll uncover a greater understanding of yourself and what you’re capable of. Each person’s survivorship journey is unique, and how you choose to travel is entirely up to you.
Remember—navigating this new terrain called ‘Survivorship’. It might be challenging, but remember, you’re not alone. There are ample resources and support systems designed to help you along the way.
Continued Medical Care
Don’t lose sight of the importance of continued medical care – always keep your follow-up appointments and adhere to any healthcare recommendations.
Remember, embracing these coping strategies can help you navigate your way into survivorship with greater ease and renewed energy. Just remember – slow and steady wins the race! You’ve overcome huge hurdles, it’s okay to take this new stage of your life at your own pace.
Resilient learning to overcome any obstacle
Additionally, health checkups are an integral part of maintaining wellness and spotting potential health issues early. This holds true for everyone, but even more so for a person who’s in the throes of survivorship.
One of the main reasons you’ll want to maintain routine health checks is to monitor for recurrence. While the hope is always for complete recovery, there’s a possibility of the disease returning—even with successful treatment. Regular checkups allow you to keep a vigilant eye on the situation, leading to early detection and treatment if any problem emerges.
Managing Other Health Conditions & Healthy Lifestyle Changes, Matters Too!
A survivorship journey can occasionally lead to new health conditions, including heart problems, diabetes, or osteoporosis. Routine screenings and monitoring help keep these conditions under control, ensuring they don’t escalate into major health risks.
Regular checkups also serve as an opportunity for your health care provider to give advice on healthy lifestyle changes. This includes exercise, a balanced diet, stress management, and quitting habits like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption—factors that can significantly lower the risk of recurrence or other health issues.
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Milestones During & After Cancer
For cancer warriors and their families, reaching life’s milestones is a big deal. Milestones can be a return to work or getting back to sport, the birth of a child or grandchild, getting married, traveling on a dream vacation, reaching another birthday, or ringing the bell.
Most importantly, these milestones during or after a cancer battle tend to have a more significant meaning because, often, cancer patients gain a greater sense of gratitude toward their lives.
According to Cancer.net, patients and their support groups filled with loved ones may engage in some activities to help recognize and celebrate memorable milestones. These activities include planning a nice dinner or party-like gathering and spending time donating money or volunteering to a cancer charity.
Perhaps the way you memorialize your cancer milestone could be independent of others. Examples include a solitary walk-in nature and allowing your senses to take hold while you reflect.
Staying Grateful Amid Battling Disease
After a diagnosis, it’s understandably extremely difficult to feel grateful for, well, maybe anything. However, studies prove that patients who are able to stay uplifted and positive often have better treatment outcomes. That’s why mindset and attitude can be extremely valuable tools.
Related: Patients Do Better When They are Less Stressed
“The patients who do well with cancer, they live life with gratitude in terms of everything,” Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet.
“They’re grateful, not for cancer, but they’re grateful for an opportunity to know that life is finite. They live life with [saying] ‘I love you’ to their husband, to their wife, to their kids. They can appreciate it for one of the first times ever because they know it may not be forever that they get to do this. Those are the patients that tend to do well with processing and also living a long, long life despite a diagnosis.”
RELATED: Dr. Zuri Murrell explains why patients who have gratitude can do well during treatment
Although studies show how important it is to find some positivity during a cancer battle, that’s much easier said than done. In addition to tackling treatment, people often juggle an overwhelming number of emotions including anxiety, anger, fear, and sadness.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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