She Was 29 Weeks Pregnant When Doctors Found Stage IV Breast Cancer—Then She Fought to Meet Her Baby
At 29 weeks pregnant, Kiersten Rapplean was preparing for one of the happiest moments of her life.
She and her family were waiting to welcome their second son. Her older child was still a toddler, and the pregnancy had been moving toward the final weeks. There was a nursery to prepare, a baby to meet and an ordinary future to imagine.
Then, at 32 years old, Kiersten received news that changed everything.
She had breast cancer.
Not an early-stage diagnosis that could simply wait until after delivery, but Stage IV inflammatory breast cancer, an aggressive and uncommon form of the disease. Her cancer was also reported as ER/PR-negative and HER2-positive. According to Kiersten’s own account, the diagnosis came while she was 29 weeks pregnant with her son, Travis. (GoFundMe)
Suddenly, her pregnancy became intertwined with a serious medical battle.
There was a baby growing inside her.
There was cancer that required treatment.
And there was no simple way to separate the two.
Kiersten would have to navigate a situation in which doctors had to consider both her health and the safety of her unborn child.
Her story is deeply personal, but it also illustrates a medical reality that doctors and researchers have spent years studying: breast cancer can occur during pregnancy, and treatment may still be possible while a pregnancy continues. The exact approach depends on the cancer's characteristics, its stage, the trimester of pregnancy and the specific therapies required. (Cancer.gov)
For Kiersten, the clock was already moving.
And her son was still growing.
A Diagnosis at 29 Weeks
Kiersten's diagnosis came in February, according to her personal account published through a fundraising campaign.
She described herself as a 32-year-old mother who was already raising her first son, Emmett, when she learned that she had Stage IV inflammatory invasive ductal carcinoma while pregnant with Travis. Her cancer was reported as estrogen-receptor negative, progesterone-receptor negative and HER2 positive. (GoFundMe)
Inflammatory breast cancer is different from many more common forms of breast cancer.
According to the National Cancer Institute, inflammatory breast cancer is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer that can develop quickly. It may cause redness, swelling and changes in the appearance of the breast rather than presenting as a traditional lump. Because of its aggressive nature, treatment generally requires prompt medical attention.
In Kiersten's situation, there was an additional complication.
She was pregnant.
Pregnancy can make cancer treatment more complicated because some medications and procedures can affect a developing fetus. Yet delaying treatment can also carry serious risks for the mother, particularly when the cancer is aggressive or advanced.
The National Cancer Institute explains that breast cancer can be treated during pregnancy, but treatment must be adapted according to the stage of the disease and the stage of pregnancy. Certain chemotherapy regimens can be used after the first trimester, while some other treatments—including HER2-targeted therapies—are generally postponed until after delivery because of fetal risks. (Cancer.gov)
For Kiersten, waiting until after childbirth was not the path her medical team chose.
She began chemotherapy while still pregnant.
Fighting While Carrying Her Baby
The idea of undergoing cancer treatment while pregnant can sound almost impossible.
For many people, pregnancy represents a period of anticipation and preparation. Cancer treatment, by contrast, can involve fatigue, nausea, medical procedures, hospital visits and uncertainty.
Kiersten was experiencing both at once.
According to her account, she received two rounds of AC chemotherapy during pregnancy. AC refers to a combination of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, two chemotherapy drugs commonly used in breast cancer treatment. (GoFundMe)
Medical guidance confirms that certain chemotherapy regimens can be administered during the second and third trimesters when clinically appropriate. The National Cancer Institute notes that anthracycline-based chemotherapy, including doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide combinations, has been used during the second and third trimesters, with available evidence suggesting relatively low rates of major complications in newborns. (Cancer.gov)
The American Society of Clinical Oncology's current guidance similarly states that some chemotherapy, including certain taxanes, can be administered during the second and third trimesters when appropriate. At the same time, the guideline emphasizes that many other cancer treatments should be avoided during pregnancy because of potential risks to the fetus. (ASC Publications)
That distinction is important.
Kiersten's experience does not mean every pregnant woman with breast cancer should receive chemotherapy, nor does it mean chemotherapy is automatically safe during pregnancy.
Treatment decisions are individualized.
Doctors consider the type of cancer, how advanced it is, the pregnancy's gestational age, the mother's health and the potential risks to the fetus.
In Kiersten's case, the medical team was trying to give her cancer treatment while allowing her pregnancy to progress as far as safely possible.
Meanwhile, her baby continued to grow.
Waiting for Travis
As chemotherapy continued, another date became increasingly important.
The birth of her son.
Kiersten's doctors eventually planned delivery at 36 weeks and one day.
According to her account, the induction took place on March 25—one day after her birthday. That day, Travis was born weighing 6 pounds 8 ounces and measuring approximately 19.75 inches long. (GoFundMe)
For Kiersten, the birth was more than the arrival of another child.
It was a moment she had been fighting toward while undergoing cancer treatment.
But Travis was born prematurely enough that he needed additional medical support.
He spent 17 days in the neonatal intensive care unit.
According to Kiersten's account, he needed additional respiratory support during his NICU stay. After those 17 days, however, he was able to go home and was described by his mother as healthy, thriving and happy. (GoFundMe)
The story therefore did not end with delivery.
In many ways, another phase was just beginning.
Kiersten still had advanced breast cancer.
And now she was also a mother of two.
The Treatment Continued After Birth
One of the most striking aspects of Kiersten's story is how quickly her cancer treatment resumed after Travis was born.
According to her account, the day after Travis's birth she underwent scans that could not be performed during pregnancy. Those scans helped doctors further assess the extent of her disease. Three days after giving birth, she began targeted treatment directed at her particular cancer subtype. (GoFundMe)
Her cancer was HER2-positive.
HER2 is a protein that can help cancer cells grow and divide. Some breast cancers have abnormally high levels of HER2, and these cancers can be treated with medications designed to target the protein. The National Cancer Institute lists several HER2-directed therapies used in breast cancer treatment, including trastuzumab and pertuzumab. (Cancer.gov)
However, HER2-targeted treatment presents an important issue during pregnancy.
The NCI states that trastuzumab should not be used during pregnancy because of documented fetal risks, particularly involving reduced amniotic fluid. Current ASCO guidance similarly recommends against administering HER2-targeted therapies during pregnancy and advises delaying them until after delivery. (Cancer.gov)
That makes the timing of Kiersten's treatment significant.
Her son had been born.
The pregnancy was over.
And treatment options that had been restricted during pregnancy could now be considered as part of her postpartum cancer care.
According to Kiersten's own account, she completed five rounds of TCHP chemotherapy by June 20. She subsequently underwent a double mastectomy on July 11 and continued receiving immunotherapy infusions every three weeks. (GoFundMe)
Her treatment was no longer happening around a pregnancy.
It was now happening alongside motherhood.
A Newborn at Home and a Mother Still in Treatment
The emotional challenge of such a situation is difficult to describe.
Kiersten had just welcomed a newborn into the world.
She also had another young child who needed his mother.
At the same time, she was undergoing intensive cancer treatment.
For a new mother, the first months after childbirth can already involve exhaustion, disrupted sleep and enormous changes in daily life. Adding chemotherapy, surgery and ongoing medical appointments creates another layer of difficulty.
Kiersten's public account repeatedly emphasized her desire to remain present for her children.
She wrote about wanting to watch her sons grow up, celebrate birthdays and experience the ordinary moments that families often take for granted. (GoFundMe)
That perspective became central to the way she described her fight.
Her children were not a replacement for medical treatment.
They were part of the future she hoped to reach.
Every treatment session represented another step toward that future.
Every difficult day existed alongside the possibility of another birthday, another bedtime story or another family photograph.
What Makes Breast Cancer During Pregnancy So Complicated?
Kiersten's experience also highlights why breast cancer during pregnancy requires specialized medical care.
The National Cancer Institute estimates that pregnancy-associated breast cancer occurs in approximately 1 in 3,000 pregnancies, with cases most often occurring among women between ages 32 and 38. (Cancer.gov)
Doctors must balance two patients' needs in a very literal sense: the mother's cancer treatment and the developing fetus.
Some procedures can be performed during pregnancy.