STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — When Staten Islander Deanna Jean discovered a lump in her breast during her third pregnancy, she had no family history of cancer—just a quiet sense that something wasn’t right.

It was March 2016. Jean, then 34 and midway through her pregnancy, was eventually diagnosed with Stage 2B invasive ductal carcinoma, an aggressive form of breast cancer.

“I found my own lump and brought it to my OB here on Staten Island, who had delivered my first two kids,” Jean recalled. “I had to go back six times before he agreed to have me imaged. Once I was finally diagnosed, he was mortified.”

Her obstetrician, realizing the gravity of her condition, urged her to seek specialized treatment elsewhere. Jean ultimately received care at the Monter Cancer Center in Lakeville, now known as

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