Flourishing Once Again

Isabelle Noblanc is an accomplished entrepreneur and proud owner of a flourishing artisan bakery in Bucks County, Pa. She’s also a two-time survivor of breast cancer. Now thriving alongside her wife Chef Magali and their beloved French bulldog Charlie, Isabelle’s journey offers an inspiring example of triumph in both life and business.

With a long family history of breast cancer and personal experience with cysts from a young age, Isabelle recognized the importance of early detection and had been going for her yearly mammograms since age 33. 

In January 2021, with the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic, a troubling spot was detected during her routine annual mammogram. Determined to find advanced cancer care close to home, Isabelle turned to the advice and recommendations of her friends, neighbors, and community. 

All paths guided her to Dr. Stacy Krisher, Medical Director of the Breast Health Program at Redeemer Health in partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. 

From their very first encounter, Dr. Krisher gave Isabelle a sense of comfort and caring, while at the same time the strength and confidence to know she was in the right place to thrive once again. 

“Dr. Krisher explained my options in great detail in a manner that I could easily understand, helping me to make informed decisions about my own care,” Isabelle said. 

The first thing Dr. Krisher did was perform a biopsy, which revealed that Isabelle had a type of breast cancer called estrogen receptor-positive and progesterone receptor-positive (ER-PR positive), HER2 negative. Interestingly despite her family history, Isabelle tested negative for the BRCA gene.

After learning about her choices, Isabelle decided to have a double mastectomy with reconstructive surgery. 

She recalled, “From the time I arrived at the hospital until I returned home, everyone I met during my journey was super nice and helpful. They even arranged for a home care nurse to look after me, which was a big relief with my wife opening up the bakery and having to rely upon the help of a close friend until I got back on my feet.”

After months of chemo and radiation therapy, Isabelle resumed her life until one day in August 2022. She felt a small lump and immediately returned to Dr. Krisher. An ultrasound was performed right away and when it showed nothing, Dr. Krisher recommended a more extensive biopsy, which she did during that same appointment.

When the results came in, and after close review by a team of experts, Isabelle’s cancer was diagnosed as borderline triple-negative cancer, one of the most aggressive and complex types. Despite the lump having been successfully removed, Isabelle decided to undergo several more rounds of radiation therapy combined with oral chemo. 

Today, Isabelle is flourishing once again. She looks forward to her three-month follow-ups, with the genuine care and ongoing interest shown by Dr. Krisher keeping her energized and hopeful.

Isabelle couldn’t walk more than a block without discomfort while undergoing treatments. Now, she has resumed hiking, taking her dog Charlie for long walks at the beach, and pouring all her energy into the specialty artisan bakery she and her wife have worked so hard to make a local success.

Her experience as a two-time thriver has given her a renewed perspective on life, what’s important and ways to give back. Not only a true testament of her strength and resilience, Isabelle’s is a story of hope and inspiration for so many.

Learn more about breast cancer services at Redeemer Health in partnership with
MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. Also, be sure to watch our webinar, Debunking the Top Three Breast Cancer Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction, with Dr. Stacy Krisher. In less than 45 minutes, fact is separated from fiction when it comes to some of the most common myths regarding breast cancer.