Jennifer Millar is a preschool teacher from northern New Jersey. Last fall, she was experiencing swelling and irritation in her breast. She was treated for an infection. When it became clear that the antibiotics were not resolving her discomfort, Jenny was sent for a mammogram and ultrasound. She was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) in November 2016. Unlike traditional breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer is not characterized by a lump but by inflammation and tenderness in the breast. Inflammatory breast cancer is often more aggressive than other breast cancers and can be more difficult to treat. Jennifer moved her treatment to Dana-Farber with Dr. Beth Overmoyer who heads Dana-Farber's Inflammatory Breast Cancer program. Jennifer has undergone surgery, chemotherapy and is enrolled in a clinical trial. Jennifer has two small children, ages 3 and 6 – between work, breast cancer and being a mom, she doesn’t have much free time. When she does get a chance to get away she likes to travel with her kids.
Dr. Overmoyer launched the Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) Program at Dana-Farber in 2009, where she continues to serve as the principal investigator of many IBC research programs and clinical trials.