With almost two decades caring for hundreds of people in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, the renowned Dominican cardiologist Claudia Almonte He went to the other side of the office: that of being a patient.
A diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer led her to undergo 16 sessions of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a mastectomy.
Dr. Almonte decided to share her diagnosis to raise awareness of the importance of attending routine medical checkups for early detection.
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“Even if they are cysts, you have to pay attention to them”: Cardiologist Claudia Almonte faces breast cancer
“Many years ago, more than 20 years, I suffered from fibrocystic breast disease… In September 2025 I was diagnosed with breast cancer triple negative. At that moment as a doctor I felt, obviously, on the other side of being a patient.”
The former president of the Dominican Society of Cardiology She admits that she did not adequately monitor her health for a time, despite the fact that on multiple occasions she was subjected to puncture processes where a liquid was extracted that was negative for malignancy in pathology. And it is precisely his call to women not to neglect themselves.
“In the last three years I had neglected myself in the sense, I had forgotten to evaluate myself and the call I make, through this message and to say about my diagnosis, is that even if they are cysts, pay attention to them, because on this occasion in September, as I said, 2025, it was already the diagnosis of bilateral breast cancer, one in situ, the right one, not the left. They placed a prosthesis, then I have been in radiotherapy for about 30 days and then I have oral medical treatment,” narrates the cardiologist.
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Your oncologist is the doctor Nancy Allen and with her a medical team that has gone hand in hand with her, behaving like human beings.
He says that the important pillars when faced with a cancer diagnosis are family, friends, faith, the attitude that the person has before diagnosis and medical treatment.
“I encourage conscious evaluation every year or every time your doctor indicates it or follow up and if you suffer from cysts or have a family genetic history, of course, do the evaluations consciously, exhaustively, as indicated by your mastologist. So I make a call, I am fine, thank God, I have been very well, but precisely I have been well because of those pillars that I remind people who are suffering from it or who may, in fact, be at risk of suffering from it or who have already gone through it. “he specifies.
He thanks God that he has been able to continue working and caring for his cardiovascular patients as he has for so many years.
Specialists highlight the importance of early detection and management of breast cancer.
