Patient Voices: Debbie Goforth
Patient Voices: Debbie Goforth
Overview
Debbie Goforth loved her job. As a branch manager for a local community bank, she enjoyed the intersection of banking and community networking. In addition to raising two children, she devoted 22 years to the banking, insurance, and business development sectors and had just begun to carve out more time for travel.
Debbie’s life continued as normal until July of 2024, when she discovered a rash on her right breast near the nipple. She didn’t think anything of it at first, as hot Texas summers can exacerbate skin conditions.
However, after two to three weeks, it started to change. “It was flaky, and it was starting to spread a little wider around the area, and it was itchy all the time,” Debbie recalled. Her growing concerns prompted Debbie to schedule an appointment with her primary care provider, who performed an ultrasound and mammogram, along with a virtual consultation with a radiologist.
Metastatic Breast Cancer Survivor
The diagnosis
Three weeks later, “we found two spots that are concerning, one inside the breast and one in the lymph nodes right next to the breast, the axillary lymph nodes,” said Debbie’s radiologist.
Debbie was referred to a breast surgeon for a biopsy. The results confirmed ductal carcinoma, a form of breast cancer.
“I never even realized that it could be a breast lump. I thought it was swelling from heat, just a blocked duct thing,” Debbie explained. “The breast surgeon did a skin punch biopsy on that rash. The rash ended up being eczema. It wasn’t even cancer, but that’s what made me go in the first place.”
A visit with Dr. Colton of Texas Oncology
Debbie proceeded with treatment at Texas Oncology, where she was paired with Bradley Colton, M.D., a board-certified physician in internal medicine at Texas Oncology-Flower Mound. She was accompanied by her husband and mother.
“He came in, and we instantly felt we were in good hands,” said Debbie. She described Dr. Colton as having good bedside manner, personable, and extremely thorough. “We never felt rushed. He took the time to get to know us,” she added.
During Halloween, Debbie received her PET results, which showed cancer in Debbie’s spine and pelvis. “There’s a spot on each, so we’re going to have to treat this as stage IV,” Dr. Colton told Debbie.
Metastatic Breast Cancer Survivor
What does it mean to have stage IV breast cancer?
Stage IV breast cancer, also referred to as metastatic breast cancer, is when cancer cells have spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body. Though treatable, stage IV metastatic breast cancer is generally an incurable disease and requires long-term treatment and management.
What makes this cancer challenging is that cancer cells can adapt and develop resistance to standard initial treatments and may not respond to the same treatment over time. Additionally, due to the systemic nature of stage IV, it can’t be treated with localized methods like surgery or radiation, relying instead on systemic treatments like chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy.
Breast cancer treatment at Texas Oncology
One of the most common misconceptions about breast cancer treatment is that a double mastectomy is always an option. In Debbie’s case, however, the cancer had already spread beyond her breast, meaning surgery alone would not have been effective. Instead, she needed systemic treatment like chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy uses specialized drugs to destroy cancer cells and is delivered intravenously. Debbie began her treatment in November 2024.
Texas Oncology provides dedicated infusion rooms and services for chemotherapy and other treatments, complete with specialized chairs to make long sessions more comfortably and convenient.
“The infusion staff is amazing there,” Debbie shared. Volunteers walk around with snacks and drinks to ensure the experience is as comfortable as possible.
After four rounds of chemotherapy, Debbie’s PET scans showed that the bone and breast metastases had completely resolved, and all the lymph nodes that lit up on her original PET scan were clear.
The only remaining concern was the lump in Debbie’s arm, which had shrunk by 60%. Because she had responded so well to treatment — and to keep neuropathy (nerve damage) at bay — Debbie and Dr. Colton decided to hold off on the remaining two rounds of chemotherapy and proceed with immunotherapy and targeted therapy injections, which Debbie receives every three weeks.
Metastatic Breast Cancer Survivor
From diagnosis and treatment to advocacy
Debbie said, “The reality is, the medical community sees us as terminal, and they write us off, and they try to make us comfortable and give us our drugs and then send us on our way. There’s not always a lot of support.”
Informed by her cancer journey and experiences, Debbie is passionate about advocating for and sharing her story with others through her blog, Go Forth with Purpose. She hopes to write about her experiences with treatment, neuropathy, lessons learned during cancer, and a term she’s coined — scanxiety, which refers to the anxiety felt during scans — in hopes of inspiring others to find their purpose, no matter where they are in life.
Debbie is undergoing a biopsy for a new spot that has appeared. Despite all the fear, trials, and tribulations, “I still get my scans every three months. I still wait with bated breath and anxiety every time I get a scan, but I’m not going to quit living my life.”
The information included in this testimonial is based on one patient’s unique experience and is not intended to represent all patient outcomes or expectations.