Diagnosed with breast cancer just 5 days apart, mother and daughter turn to Southern California’s leader in breast cancer care
Kristina Reding, 42, and her mom, Jeannette, 66, have always been close.
“We live within walking distance of each other,” Kristina said. “My mom knows she can count on me to be there for her whenever she needs me.”
Given their family’s history of cancer, both mother and daughter were vigilant when it came to getting regular screenings. Earlier this year, they each received their annual mammograms at Hoag Breast Center in Newport Beach on the same day.
“It was all pretty routine,” said Jeanette. “But then I got a call saying they’d found something, and they needed me to come back. I knew that wasn’t a good sign.”
Kristina received a similar phone call. She would need to return to Hoag for a biopsy and additional imaging.
Meanwhile, tests confirmed Jeannette had stage 1 cancer in both breasts.
“I was just a few days shy of my scheduled biopsy, so when my mom received her diagnosis, I suddenly had a really bad feeling,” Kristina said.
Just five days following her mother’s diagnosis, Kristina discovered she had stage 1 cancer in her right breast. She broke the news to her family at her mom’s first surgery consultation.
“One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do is tell my parents that I too have breast cancer,” Kristina said.
“It was all so surreal,” Jeannette recalled. “No one could believe we were experiencing this at the same time.”
Both mother and daughter were placed under the care of Hoag breast and oncoplastic surgeon Elizabeth C. Kraft, MD. Following recommendations from their care teams, both women underwent oncoplastic breast surgery, a breast-conserving procedure that removes cancer while reconstructing the breast to preserve its natural appearance, feel, and function.
Kristina’s oncoplastic surgery was performed by Dr. Kraft in partnership with Nirav B. Savalia, MD, Hoag plastic surgeon and co-director of the Oncoplastic Breast Surgery Program. Two weeks later, Jeanette underwent a double lumpectomy with breast reconstruction, also performed by Dr. Kraft, this time alongside Raquel A. Minasian, MD, another expert Hoag plastic surgeon.
“Dr. Minasian actually called me the night before my surgery and offered to answer any questions and discuss any concerns I had,” Jeannette said. “I was truly amazed that a busy surgeon would take the time to do that. She was just so wonderful and really put my mind at ease.”
Hoag has been a pioneer in oncoplastic breast surgery since 2008, when the program was first established under the leadership of Melvin J. Silverstein, MD, Gross Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery.
Over the past two decades, Hoag has built one of the most advanced and experienced oncoplastic programs in the nation, performing the highest volume of these procedures in Southern California. In 2024, Hoag became the first in the U.S. to launch a stand-alone Oncoplastic Breast Surgery Fellowship, thanks in part to generous philanthropic funding through the Muzzy Family Endowed Fellowship in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery.
“Our breast and plastic surgeons collaborate from the start, mapping the surgery with precision,” said Dr. Savalia. “During the surgery, the breast surgeon removes the tumor while the plastic surgeon reconstructs the affected breast, and if needed, adjusts the other breast for symmetry. All reconstruction is done before radiation, which is key to achieving optimal results.”
“To undergo a lumpectomy and then have to wait two months to see a plastic surgeon for breast reconstruction can be traumatizing for a patient,” said Dr. Kraft. “Oncoplastic surgery eliminates that emotional and physical distress by removing the cancer while achieving an excellent cosmetic result.”
As Kristina and Jeannette prepared for radiation treatment, each shared that they were grateful for the care they received and pleased with the results of their oncoplastic surgeries.
“It’s pretty incredible that we were able to go in for one procedure and come out looking and feeling like our best selves,” said Kristina. “We are both so grateful to Dr. Kraft and to the village that surrounded us during a time when we needed support and guidance the most.”
