When Luciana Bosio was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, she was surprised at how calm she felt. The news was certainly upsetting, especially for the people who love her. But her immediate response was to develop an action plan, and for that she turned to Virginia Mason.

“The moment I was diagnosed I had a team to care for me,” she said. “The surgeons, doctors and nurses at Virginia Mason were amazing — supportive and reassuring, but not patronizing. I didn't want to be treated like I was sick. It was important to me to be treated like a person who had a problem at the moment, and needed help with that problem. They always listened to me, and always included me in the planning.”

Fortunately, Luciana has long been committed to getting an annual mammogram, and her cancer was found early. That gave her the option of having a lumpectomy, rather than a mastectomy to remove her entire breast. Surgery successfully removed the cancerous mass, and the margins around it were found to be clean.

Chemotherapy was then recommended to reduce the risk of recurring cancer. Luciana said no. She didn't want to be sick or have her hair fall out, or any of the other side effects she associated with chemo. But she did agree to talk with Nanette Robinson, MD, an oncologist at Virginia Mason.

“The first time I saw Dr. Robinson, I told her that I wasn't going to be doing any chemo and I wasn't going to be doing any radiation,” she said. “I didn't want anything like that.”

Luciana is a strong-willed woman, but found she’d met her match in Dr. Robinson.

The oncologist listened to her concerns, then explained new developments in chemotherapy. She shared data that showed how chemo could dramatically reduce Luciana's chances of cancer coming back. And she suggested CMF — a combination of drugs that are milder than other chemotherapy drugs but taken over a longer period of time. Luciana accepted the challenge, and for 24 weeks, she came to Virginia Mason on Fridays for a CMF injection.

Her husband, Pedro, was with her for every injection. Luciana and Pedro have been together most of their lives, since their first crush at ages 13 and 14. Originally from Argentina, they've been married almost 25 years. They work together as well, as radio producers for the Marty & Jodi show on 95.7 The Jet.

Both are grateful to iHeart Media Seattle for being incredibly supportive. Staying active on her job helped Luciana stay focused. She was determined to stay positive, and a work environment full of fun and laughter helped her keep her sense of humor as well.

Although Luciana was often tired, and occasionally had bouts of mental fuzziness (typically called chemo brain) she never got sick during treatment, and her hair did not fall out. She was still able to work, do yoga every day — and even travel to Argentina to visit her family.

“I have to tip my hat to Dr. Robinson for convincing me to do something I didn’t want to do,” Luciana said.