Catherine Thoma
“My cancer story would be very different if I hadn’t found the cancer early, and I am lucky I found it. I don’t want people to just be lucky; I want people to be educated and aware.”
In April 2025, Catherine Thoma was at home watching a movie when she felt a tingle in her left breast. “I had done some intense yard work the day before, and I thought it was just muscle soreness. I rubbed the area under my armpit near the side of my breast, and I felt a pea-sized lump,” she recalls. “I immediately went to see my doctor.” One month later, following diagnostic tests and three biopsies, Catherine was diagnosed with Stage 2A Grade 2 breast cancer. “My mom was with me, and I remember comforting her, saying, ‘It’s not a death sentence. I’m going to be okay!’ I didn’t know if that was true, but that’s what I needed to tell myself.”
Soon, Catherine met her oncologist, who told her the cancer was treatable and curable but would require chemotherapy and radiation. “My first question was, ‘Am I going to lose my hair?’ and without skipping a beat, my doctor very confidently said, ‘Yes.’ My denial broke, and I finally cried. I appreciated my oncologist being so blunt about it. I needed to hear the facts.” Catherine’s treatment plan also involved a double mastectomy to reduce the chance of recurrence. “My doctor gave me confidence that I have a long life ahead of me, so we forged forward.”
The beginning of her treatment wasn’t easy. After her first chemo treatment, Catherine’s sodium levels plummeted, and she had a seizure. “Surviving that is hard to explain. I was terrified. I kept crying to my mom, ‘I can’t do this! If this is what chemo is for the next four months, I can’t do it,’” she remembers. Nevertheless, she embraced and trusted the advice of her care team and believed that it would get better: “And it did, I got stronger and I learned that I have cancer, but cancer doesn’t have me.”
Today, Catherine is on the road to recovery and shares her story to help raise awareness about the importance of early detection. “Sometimes it takes something hitting close to home to initiate a change, and I want to be that wake-up call for my friends and family.” She encourages others to “advocate for yourself, schedule your screenings, get checked, and learn your family health history.” She adds, “You can’t stop cancer from happening, but you can find it early, and that can save your life.”
Catherine’s advice for those newly diagnosed is to find a local support group that meets in person. She says, “Having a support system is so important and so necessary. You need to know you are loved. I have felt so seen by friends, neighbors, old co-workers, friends of friends, strangers, and of course, my family. The support reminds you that you matter and that you have to keep going.”
Catherine stands up for her loved ones affected by cancer and believes “if it wasn’t for cancer research, I wouldn’t have hope. I’m eternally grateful for the research that is giving me life. Cancer is always evolving, so we need research to continue more than ever.”
Our Mission
Stand Up To Cancer raises awareness and funds research to detect and treat cancers with the aspiration to cure all patients. Find out how you can get involved.
