Michelene Holmes was diagnosed with stage IIIA triple-negative breast cancer in January 2014 at 45 years old after she noticed a tightening in her left breast.

“When I heard the news that it was cancer, I felt terribly sad and embarrassed,” says Holmes, who is a program manager in Infectious Diseases at MD Anderson.

Thanks to the support of her family and friends, as well as her MD Anderson colleagues and care team, she...