In July 2019, Polina noticed a lump in her right breast during a self-exam. She did self-exams regularly due to a family history of the disease

Her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all lost their lives to breast cancer.

When the lump didn't go away, she got an appointment with her primary care physician who knew her family history and immediately sent Polina for a mammogram. They found cancer and did a biopsy the same day.

Polina was new to the United States but her boss did some research on her behalf and told her that she should go to Dr. Burstein at Dana-Farber and she is so happy she made the decision to do so. 

When she had an initial conversation with Dr. Burstein, she was 100% confident in the team.