Model battles aggressive breast cancer, travels across the country for treatment

Alison McCullough, a runway model gearing up for New York Fashion Week, felt a lump while shaving and was turned away by a mobile mammogram provider because she was under 40. A referral from her primary doctor took weeks to secure, and limited options in Alaska delayed her diagnosis until nearly two months later, when doctors identified an aggressive triple-negative breast cancer with a BRCA-2 mutation. Anticipating a month-long wait for chemotherapy at her local infusion center, she and her husband sought care at City of Hope in Phoenix, where the center responded within hours and arranged a treatment plan matching her Alaskan oncologist’s recommendations.

The six-month chemotherapy course caused mild side effects at first, then more fatigue, after which she underwent a double mastectomy in late April. In May her oncologist announced she was cancer-free, allowing her to start reconstructive surgery and return to Alaska in time for her son’s birthday, while she plans to resume fitness and possibly return to the runway to share her experience.