Gen Zer Reaches Final Stage of Chemo—Has No Idea Devastating News Is Coming
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
When Alexis Klimpl discovered a grape-sized lump in her breast, her gut immediately told her it was cancer. But due to her young age, she tried to convince herself it couldn't be.
However, a series of tests and scans confirmed the worst: she had stage 2 triple-positive breast cancer at just 24 years old.
Now, one year later, the publicist from San Diego, California, is in remission. But she's also navigating early menopause brought on by her treatment.
"I can't have kids for 10 more years because of the medication I'm on," she told Newsweek.
Klimpl takes Lupron, a drug used to reduce the risk of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer returning in premenopausal women following surgery and other treatments. She also takes Letrozole, a hormone blocker.
"I never thought I'd be in menopause at 25," she said. "I have 10 to 15 hot flashes a day, night sweats, ongoing hair loss, vaginal dryness and mood swings."
Most women begin the menopausal transition between the ages of 45 and 55, with symptoms often lasting for several years. Breast cancer, too, is typically associated with older women—the American Cancer Society reports that the median age at diagnosis is 62. Although uncommon, a small percentage of cases do occur in women under 45.
L-R: Klimpl with her partner and Klimpl sitting in the hospital during cancer treatment.
L-R: Klimpl with her partner and Klimpl sitting in the hospital during cancer treatment.
Alexis Klimpl
Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, the co-director of the sexuality, intimacy and menopause for cancer survivors program at Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut, explained to Newsweek why patients like Klimpl go through a medicated menopause.
"The problem here is that for a woman who has (presumed) estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, all oncologists would want to avoid giving her estrogen, and indeed would probably give her medications to minimize her own body's production of any estrogen from any non-ovarian source," Minkin said.
With no family history of breast cancer, Klimpl and her mother were devastated by the diagnosis.
"I thought I was too young to have cancer," she told Newsweek, explaining that she initially hoped it was just a cyst, but she could feel it growing.
"When I was diagnosed, the doctors didn't know how it happened. They said it's rare at my age. My mom broke down. Seeing her face—I'll never forget that image," Klimpl said.
A friend set up a GoFundMe page for Klimpl that raised $23,000. Half of the funds went toward egg freezing, during which 36 eggs were retrieved. The rest helped cover the costs of six surgeries, each priced at $3,000.
L-R: Klimpl flashing a peace sign and with her mother during a hospitalization.
L-R: Klimpl flashing a peace sign and with her mother during a hospitalization.
Alexis Klimpl/Alexis Klimpl
Klimpl underwent six rounds of chemotherapy over the course of nearly five months and was officially declared cancer-free in January of this year.
Despite genetic tests showing no inherited cancer risk, she chose to have a double mastectomy.
"In my eyes, my breasts betrayed me. They didn't have my back, so I wanted them gone," she said.
Klimpl has since undergone breast reconstruction, which she lightheartedly refers to on Instagram (@lexiklimpl) as "the only positive" of her cancer experience.
Reflecting on the past year, she told Newsweek: "As a young person, you feel invincible—but being diagnosed at such a young age really put my life into perspective."
"It strengthened my relationships with friends and family because they showed up for me in ways I'll never forget. I've realized that we often don't know how to be there for others when we're just trying to keep ourselves together," she said.
"I'm finally at a stage where it feels like everything is behind me. I'm returning to my life—but it's strange. I thought that hearing the words 'cancer-free' would bring instant relief, that it would be the moment the stress disappeared. But it wasn't. Recovery is more complex than I expected."
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