At 34, Molly Kinsella had built a life she loved in Chicago. She worked as a project manager for a real estate developer, ran along the lake, enjoyed spending time with friends and traveled whenever she could.
But one morning in 2023, she noticed an unusual feeling in her breast.
鈥淚 found a lump in the center of my left breast 鈥 and it didn鈥檛 feel great,鈥 says Molly, who lives in the Old Town neighborhood. 鈥淎t the time, I was startled but just thought it was a cyst.鈥
She trusted her gut and contacted her primary care provider, who referred her to a gynecologist. The gynecologist sent her to a radiologist that same day, and an hour after that appointment, Molly had a mammogram.
鈥淚 knew women don鈥檛 qualify for mammograms until they鈥檙e 40,鈥 Molly says. 鈥淪o that was one of my first signs that maybe things weren鈥檛 as rosy as I thought they were.鈥
Her doctor suspected it was breast cancer, and due to her age, her doctor had Molly take a cancer genetic blood test. The results showed Molly had the BRCA1 gene mutation, which increases her risk and severity of certain cancers.
A few days after, Molly had a biopsy, which confirmed her stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis.
鈥淚 truly was naive to the fact that breast cancer could happen to me, especially since I didn鈥檛 have a family history of any type of cancer,鈥 Molly says. 鈥淚 was young, active and healthy, so it didn鈥檛 cross my mind.鈥
Her doctor referred her to RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center. And a few hours after Molly鈥檚 doctor sent over her test results, she got a call from Madeline McIntosh, RN, a breast cancer care coordinator.
鈥淚 was at work when I learned about my diagnosis. It wasn鈥檛 great, so I walked home and just felt totally lost. Then, when I got the call, Madeline said, 鈥楪o home and be with your people. We鈥檒l get started on this at an appointment we鈥檝e made for you tomorrow at 8 a.m.,鈥 Molly says. 鈥淚t was one of the most comforting things in the world. They took care of everything and started guiding the process right away. It made me feel like a human and not just a patient in the most uncertain time of my life.鈥
Meeting her care team
The next morning, Molly came in for her appointment with a breast surgeon at RUSH MD Anderson, who reviewed her previous tests, and later referred Molly to , a medical oncologist at RUSH MD Anderson.
Rao says Molly鈥檚 BRCA1 mutation was an important factor in determining her care plan.
鈥淧atients with the BRCA1 mutation tend to develop triple negative breast cancer, or a more aggressive form of breast cancer,鈥 Rao says. 鈥淕iven that Molly was a BRCA1 mutation carrier and her tumor had a high growth rate, we decided to treat it as triple negative.鈥
Molly鈥檚 treatment would consist of chemotherapy with immunotherapy followed by surgery, with the goal of trying to make the cancer disappear before the latter, Rao says.
Cold capping during chemo
While discussing chemotherapy, Molly鈥檚 doctors told her the treatment could cause her hair to fall out.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 when the tears rolled down my cheeks 鈥 and the part that made the cancer feel real,鈥 Molly says. 鈥淏ut Dr. Rao really understood me. She got that I didn鈥檛 want to completely stop my life because of cancer and that I was just trying to get back to normal.鈥
Molly chose cold capping to help reduce hair loss during chemotherapy. The cold cap works by cooling the scalp before, during and after treatment, helping limit how much chemotherapy reaches and damages the hair.
On Aug. 3, Molly started the first of her 16 rounds of chemotherapy with immunotherapy.
鈥淐old capping gave me a sense of control over a situation that you don鈥檛 have a lot of control in,鈥 Molly says. 鈥淚 am sensitive about that, too, because I know it鈥檚 not successful for everyone. I was lucky enough that it was for me and I was very appreciative of that.鈥
It wasn鈥檛 easy, though, as each day of chemo ended up lasting nine hours, Molly says. She was grateful to have her cousin and mom there throughout.
鈥淪he has a lovely family who supported her,鈥 Rao says. 鈥淢olly鈥檚 mother traveled from St. Louis to join her at all of her chemo treatments and be by her side.鈥
Molly did experience arthritis pain, which Rao says can be a side effect of immunotherapy. While she received steroid treatment for it, Molly also saw Angela Lorbeck, DACM, at RUSH MD Anderson, for acupuncture.
鈥淎cupuncture was new to me, but it really helped relieve my symptoms during chemo,鈥 Molly says. 鈥淎nd having it administered at the hospital, under the care of a team that knew my treatment plan, made it more comfortable and convenient, too.鈥
A double mastectomy and reconstruction
Right before Christmas, Molly completed her final round of chemotherapy. And in January, Molly was scheduled to have a double mastectomy, or the removal of both breasts.
鈥淔or patients with the BRCA1 gene, we recommend both breasts be removed to reduce the risk of developing a new breast cancer in the future,鈥 Rao says.
After her double mastectomy, her team of providers confirmed Molly had a full pathological response to chemotherapy, meaning she had no remaining cancer cells in her breast or lymph nodes.
鈥淲hile the standard of care is to finish a few more cycles of the immunotherapy after surgery, no chemotherapy, targeted or radiation therapy was required in Molly鈥檚 case,鈥 Rao says. 鈥淭he most significant thing about it is those patients have the lowest chance of cancer recurrence.鈥
Molly was thrilled to hear the news from her doctors.
鈥淚 was so excited. It gave me some ability to choose my next step. Radiation wasn鈥檛 required, but it was still an option for me. And given my unique circumstances, I opted not to do,鈥 Molly says. 鈥淭o get some freedom back by having a choice of treatment was a nice win.鈥
Following a successful surgery, Molly had breast reconstruction in May, done by plastic surgeon , at RUSH MD Anderson.
鈥淔or me, being young was a big factor in moving forward with reconstruction. I didn鈥檛 want to have a lot of physical changes after cancer,鈥 Molly says. 鈥淎nd Dr. Shaneq was the best and made great recommendations. I really had an A-team.鈥
Preventing future cancer risks
After her surgeries, Rao referred Molly to specialists who could help reduce her risk of other cancers associated with the BRCA1 gene.
鈥淏RCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that make proteins that help repair damaged DNA,鈥 Rao says. 鈥淲hen you have a mutation in one of these genes, that repair mechanism doesn鈥檛 work properly, which increases your risk of developing certain cancers, specifically breast and ovarian cancer.鈥
Women with a BRCA1 gene mutation have up to a 60% lifetime risk of ovarian cancer. And while there鈥檚 no screening test for ovarian cancer for people with an average risk, preventive procedures can help reduce the risk for those with a higher risk.
Molly met with , a gynecologic oncologist at RUSH MD Anderson, who recommended removing her fallopian tubes, where many ovarian cancers tend to begin.
鈥淲hen Dr. Dewdney explained everything to me, it was interesting seeing cancer from a preventative lens as opposed to being in the thick of treatment,鈥 Molly says. 鈥淪he explained the increased risk of ovarian cancer tied to the gene and walked through the procedure and fertility implications. I had frozen my eggs years before I knew I had cancer, so that wasn鈥檛 a complication for me. And it made the preventive surgery a straightforward decision for me.鈥
In August of 2025, Molly had her fallopian tubes removed laparoscopically. 鈥淚t was the easiest surgery I had,鈥 Molly adds.
Life after breast cancer
Following treatment, Molly continues to have no signs of cancer. She sees Rao and Dewdney every six months for checkups, and Shenaq every year.
Since then, Molly has been on a mission to travel more, taking a whirlwind of 18 trips in 18 months with her best friend. Some of her favorite places were Detroit, Nashville, Phoenix and anywhere with a beach. Next year, she hopes to take 12 trips in 12 months.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my personality to say yes to things and not really hold back, and after treatment, I鈥檝e intensified that a bit,鈥 Molly says. 鈥淭raveling was a way to get back to my life and shift the narrative from cancer.鈥
She鈥檚 grateful, meanwhile, for the team of doctors and nurses who took care of her and helped her return to her everyday life.
鈥淓veryone was so kind and supportive,鈥 Molly says. 鈥淭he staff make the hospital not a scary place. They really care about me and my well-being, and that鈥檚 taken a lot of the fear out of it. Now, I look forward to updating my providers on the fun progress in my life at my regular monitoring appointments.鈥
Rao says she admires Molly鈥檚 strength and resilience throughout.
鈥淢olly has been a true pleasure to take care of and to work with, and our entire team feels that way,鈥 Rao says. 鈥淢olly had such a positive attitude in the way she dealt with everything, like the BRCA mutation and making some life-altering decisions because of it.鈥
Molly offers this advice to other young women: 鈥淭rust your body and yourself.鈥
鈥淵ou understand your body and its habits, and you know when something doesn鈥檛 seem right,鈥 Molly says. 鈥淎nd in the event that you do have to deal with it, trust the process, but also advocate for yourself. I am so thankful to have an incredible team at RUSH MD Anderson that listened to me, understood me and helped me navigate a new normal, but the same old me.鈥
For more information on breast cancer care at RUSH MD Anderson, or to schedule a mammogram, visit us online or by calling (312) CANCER-1.
