After more than two decades helping patients and teaching new nurses, Eileen Arnau found herself relying on some of those former students during treatment for breast cancer.
Arnau, a Rochester Regional Health nurse who works in its Transfer Center, was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer after a mammogram in April 2025 led to additional imaging and biopsies, according to her account published by the health system. She said the diagnosis changed how she understands the experience of the patients she has cared for throughout her career.
Arnau has worked for Rochester Regional Health since 2005 and has spent more than 20 years as a nurse. She has trained nursing students as a preceptor and now helps coordinate patient moves between hospitals and outpatient facilities.
She said she had put off her own health appointments while caring for her husband during a chronic illness and raising their children. Her husband died after surgery in June 2021. Arnau later began scheduling visits for herself, including the mammogram that led to her diagnosis.
From diagnosis to treatment
HER2-positive breast cancer has cells with high levels of a protein that can promote cancer growth. Arnau said she was shocked by the diagnosis, particularly because earlier genetic testing had not indicated a family history of breast cancer. The health system's account does not say that testing could have ruled out a future diagnosis.
Arnau met with doctors at Rochester Regional Health's Lipson Cancer Institute and Breast Center. Her treatment included 18 weeks of chemotherapy before surgery. She said the course was physically difficult and affected her energy, appetite and ability to manage nausea.
After discussing a lumpectomy and a double mastectomy with her care team, she chose bilateral skin-sparing mastectomies followed by implant-based reconstruction. The account says she underwent reconstruction procedures in February and June 2026. Those decisions reflected her individual case and should not be taken as a treatment recommendation for other patients.
Arnau recalled having about 20 appointments in May 2025 as her treatment plan moved forward. She said she wanted to remain present for her children, including a daughter who was 13 at the time of the interview.
A different view of patient care
During appointments and an emergency department visit, Arnau encountered nurses and other staff members she had helped teach. She said being cared for by former students brought her years of clinical instruction full circle.
The experience also gave her a new appreciation for what patients face while navigating treatment. Arnau said that even with her medical background, the process could feel isolating and difficult to understand.
She credited her cancer care team, manager and Transfer Center coworkers with helping her take time off and work remotely when she needed to rest. Rochester Regional Health said she was cancer-free at the time of its Oct. 12 profile and continuing to recover physically and emotionally.
Arnau said she plans to carry what she learned as a patient into her nursing practice. Her account is one person's experience; cancer screening and treatment choices depend on a patient's circumstances and should be discussed with a clinician.
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