Shruti Babu’s breast cancer diagnosis came as quite a shock. A healthy, 38-year-old mom of two, with no known family history of cancer, she originally regarded a lump she discovered as dried breast milk.
She consulted her obstetrician-gynecologist, who recommended a mammogram and a visit to Texas Oncology. With her diagnosis in October 2017, Shruti found herself fighting an unexpected disease.
“Being a young breast cancer patient was definitely scary and new,” says Shruti. “Cancer doesn’t run in my family, so I had no knowledge of oncology. Everything happened very fast.”
Shruti’s left breast cancer diagnosis came with a high oncotype score, which is a test that helps oncologists determine whether chemotherapy is needed, and the likelihood of the cancer returning. She was cared for by medical oncologist Dr. Punit Chadha, Texas Oncology–South Austin, and Dr. Julie Sprunt of Texas Breast Specialists–Austin and Bastrop, a part of Texas Oncology. Shruti said her doctors and the Texas Oncology team have made her feel welcome since day one.
“They kind of make you forget why you’re there,” Shruti says of the team at Texas Oncology. “From the front desk and nursing staff to the doctors, everyone is really invested in your life.”
Under Drs. Chadha and Sprunt’s supervision, Shruti has endured aggressive and effective breast cancer treatments including 16 rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and reconstructive surgery. She elected to have a bilateral mastectomy after it was confirmed that she had a genetic mutation that increased her risk for breast cancer.
“Shruti’s outlook is good and she has done very well,” says Dr. Sprunt. “Her case is a good example of the hidden scar and nipple-sparing surgeries performed by Texas Breast Specialists surgeons as well as the genetic risk evaluation and testing program we offer.”
As a mom with two young daughters, Shruti has told them just about everything that’s happened — even taking them to some of her doctor’s appointments.
Shruti adds, “I wanted to be strong for them. If I showed a little bit of sadness, or if they saw something was wrong, it would show on their faces. And I think they actually are a big part of why I’ve been able to be so positive. I don’t want them to be scared of the word cancer. I want them to grow up to be strong women who say, ‘You know what? Life goes on.’”
Shruti’s Indian heritage also played a significant role in her cancer journey.
“In my culture, someone who has cancer usually doesn’t tell anybody,” explains Shruti. “It’s frowned upon.”
Shruti found encouragement in sharing her story on her “mommy Instagram” account. By documenting her experience, Shruti became a source of encouragement to others.
“So many people started opening up about their personal experience or someone they knew who had cancer,” says Shruti. “Today, my followers are a bunch of Indian women my age, with children, who had cancer. Even if they didn’t want to come out, they were just so happy to read that they’re not doing this alone.”