Butte Woman Shares the Importance of Self-Exams and Awareness After Breast Cancer Diagnosis at 37

Last fall, Valerie DeTonancour, at the age of 37, felt a lump in her breast. Concerned, she went to the emergency department at Intermountain Health St. James Hospital for an evaluation. That led to a consultation with her primary care provider and a biopsy that revealed a diagnosis of breast cancer. After additional testing, it was determined that she had stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma.

Because of the nature of her cancer, her treatment plan included chemotherapy treatments beginning in October 2025, followed by double mastectomy surgery, and then radiation therapy treatments. After nearly...