Whatever it takes

Sarah Moreland is relentless.

It’s a trait that has come in handy as she’s taught middle school math in Milwaukee Public Schools for the past 22 years. It has helped her push through 18 months of breast cancer treatment. It’s why she crossed the finish line of her first ever sprint triathlon about 30 minutes faster than she expected. And it’s the reason her Aurora Health Care oncologist, Dr. Rubina Qamar, was there to cheer on Moreland and her fellow cancer survivors as they completed the 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike ride, and 5-kilometer run as part of Team Phoenix, Aurora Health Care’s cancer survivorship program, in July.

“Because I’m obnoxious and I don’t let down, I made her come to the tri,” Moreland says. “I think it was the first time anyone’s doctor had ever come. My sister was like, ‘You cried for your doctor being there but not for your family?’ But Dr. Qamar is a really special person.”

Dr. Qamar began treating Moreland’s breast cancer in early 2022. Thanks again to Moreland’s persistence, she diligently administers self-breast exams at the beginning of every month. This time, she felt a lump, so she scheduled a mammogram, which led to an ultrasound, which revealed a mass.

Next came six rounds of chemotherapy, during which Moreland was fortunate to have support from family and friends. Her brother-in-law, Matt Hohol, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, took off three months from work to regularly drive down to Milwaukee to take care of her. Moreland would teach for five days, then Hohol would drive down to shuttle her to chemo. Then, he would drive her up to stay with him and his wife, Moreland’s sister, Molly Hohol, at their home in Green Bay for 10 days. Then they’d start the cycle over again. By the end, Moreland was too sick to teach, but she did manage to attend her students’ eighth-grade graduation that May.

Moreland’s roommate, Javonnie Johnson, also took her to appointments, ran errands for her and drove up regularly to Green Bay to help.

“Not living alone while you are sick is a blessing,” Moreland says.

But her journey was far from over.

“Unfortunately, surgery to remove Sarah’s tumor revealed that she still had viable cancer in her breast tissue,” says Dr. Qamar. “So our research team and I brought up the possibility of an investigational treatment as part of a clinical trial.”

When breast cancer cells have higher than normal levels of the growth-promoting protein called human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2), doctors describe the breast cancer as HER2-positive. These types of breast cancers tend to grow and spread faster than other types of breast cancer. HER2-positive breast cancer represents about 15% of invasive breast cancers. Moreland’s tumor also used estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors to grow, so her cancer is considered “triple-positive,” which is a subtype of HER2-positive breast cancer.

The clinical trial, known as COMPASS HER2 RD (Alliance A011801), compares the standard treatment of a combination drug called T-DM1 to treatment with T-DM1 plus a newer anti-HER2 drug called tucatinib in preventing a person’s cancer from returning.

Unfamiliar with clinical research and unsure how to move forward, Moreland leaned on her support network. The answer came quickly.

“My sister said, ‘You will do the trial, because even if it doesn’t change things for you, it will change things for others,’” recalls Moreland.

That was enough for her. Fast forward to this past summer and Moreland has now completed her participation in the study and her cancer is in remission.

The study was blinded, so neither Dr. Qamar nor Moreland know whether she received the investigational treatment or a placebo. But, based on the side-effects, Moreland has a guess.

During it all, Moreland never stopped pushing to get back in her classroom. She was able to resume teaching for the entire 2022-2023 school year, where she was met with remarkable emotional maturity and compassion from her students. She remembers her students encouraging her and then standing for an ovation as she took off her hat in class for the first time following chemotherapy.

“Those eighth-graders were amazing, their parents were amazing,” she says. “They’re a special group of kids.”

Of course, the people who know Moreland say the same for her.

“Sarah’s an inspiration,” Dr. Qamar says. “She doesn’t let anything stand in her way.”

Learn more about research at Advocate Aurora Research Institute