This spring, Elaine Alden found herself in the middle of Yankee Stadium receiving the VIP fan treatment as the team’s honorary bat girl. The annual recognition by the Yankees franchise spotlights individuals with stories of inspiration, and this year, the focus was Elaine and her journey overcoming cancer.
Sharing Her Story to Support Others
Inspired to help others, Elaine has established Phoenix Purpose, an organization to provide support to patients going through cancer.
Elaine, a resident of Bronx, NY, and triple-negative breast cancer survivor, was nominated for the honor by her oncologist, Dr. Meghna S. Trivedi who co-leads the Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC). Diagnosed in 2018, Elaine’s battle with breast cancer has had setbacks, including when the cancer returned two times after initially successful surgery and chemotherapy treatment. Through it all, she has maintained a close connection to her care team at Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian, rooted in trust.
“A cancer diagnosis is scary. You want to Google everything about it, but not if you have a team of doctors that you actually trust,” says Elaine. “I learned everything I had to know [about the cancer] from my doctors. It was good to have a trusted team—to really, really trust those around you, making co-decisions about your care.”
Triple-negative breast cancer refers to the lack of three markers— receptors to the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, as well as a protein called HER2—commonly found in breast cancer. It accounts for about 10% to 15% of all breast cancers, and has a tendency to grow faster than other disease types. The absence of these markers on triple-negative cancer cells also means that patients aren’t eligible for certain treatment options, such as hormone therapies or anti-HER2 antibodies.
“During the nearly four-year time period during which Elaine underwent treatment, we saw the approval of several new therapeutic agents for triple-negative breast cancer,” says Dr. Trivedi, a member of the HICCC’s Cancer Population Science Program and assistant professor of medicine at Columbia’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. “Despite the many challenges of a prolonged course of treatment, Elaine remained resilient. She navigated her medical appointments while letting her vibrant personality shine through and pursuing the things that were important to her.”
Shortly after the first diagnosis, Elaine worked with a photographer to document her transformation, before her double mastectomy, after the surgery, and beyond.
In late 2019, ABC News aired a 20-minute segment spotlighting Elaine’s cancer journey. To her surprise, Elaine, who calls herself “not a support group type of person” has felt compelled to share her story with the goal of helping others who might be going through a similar experience, and to raise awareness about breast cancer and the importance of early detection.
In 2022, she launched a nonprofit, Phoenix Purpose, an organization to provide support to patients going through cancer.
“Elaine gives constantly to everybody. She never thinks about herself. And even throughout this whole journey, she has always been thinking about what she can do to make sure other patients or caregivers can get help with navigating their care,” says Elaine’s husband, Chris. “The amount of feedback we’ve received by sharing her story and our lives and our ability to reach so many people has been insurmountable.”
Elaine Alden wears a blue dress standing in NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital hallway.
Elaine Alden (center) with members of her care team, from left to right: Dr. Dinaz Irani; Dr. Meghna S. Trivedi; and Dr. Ian Sadler (Credit: Jeffrey Schifman)
Sharing Her Story to Support Others
Inspired to help others, Elaine has established Phoenix Purpose, an organization to provide support to patients going through cancer.
Elaine Alden (center) with members of her care team, from left to right: Dr. Dinaz Irani; Dr. Meghna S. Trivedi; and Dr. Ian Sadler (Credit: Jeffrey Schifman)
Elaine, a resident of Bronx, NY, and triple-negative breast cancer survivor, was nominated for the honor by her oncologist, Dr. Meghna S. Trivedi who co-leads the Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC). Diagnosed in 2018, Elaine’s battle with breast cancer has had setbacks, including when the cancer returned two times after initially successful surgery and chemotherapy treatment. Through it all, she has maintained a close connection to her care team at Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian, rooted in trust.
“A cancer diagnosis is scary. You want to Google everything about it, but not if you have a team of doctors that you actually trust,” says Elaine. “I learned everything I had to know [about the cancer] from my doctors. It was good to have a trusted team—to really, really trust those around you, making co-decisions about your care.”
Triple-negative breast cancer refers to the lack of three markers— receptors to the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, as well as a protein called HER2—commonly found in breast cancer. It accounts for about 10% to 15% of all breast cancers, and has a tendency to grow faster than other disease types. The absence of these markers on triple-negative cancer cells also means that patients aren’t eligible for certain treatment options, such as hormone therapies or anti-HER2 antibodies.
“During the nearly four-year time period during which Elaine underwent treatment, we saw the approval of several new therapeutic agents for triple-negative breast cancer,” says Dr. Trivedi, a member of the HICCC’s Cancer Population Science Program and assistant professor of medicine at Columbia’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. “Despite the many challenges of a prolonged course of treatment, Elaine remained resilient. She navigated her medical appointments while letting her vibrant personality shine through and pursuing the things that were important to her.”
Shortly after the first diagnosis, Elaine worked with a photographer to document her transformation, before her double mastectomy, after the surgery, and beyond.
In late 2019, ABC News aired a 20-minute segment spotlighting Elaine’s cancer journey. To her surprise, Elaine, who calls herself “not a support group type of person” has felt compelled to share her story with the goal of helping others who might be going through a similar experience, and to raise awareness about breast cancer and the importance of early detection.
In 2022, she launched a nonprofit, Phoenix Purpose, an organization to provide support to patients going through cancer.
“Elaine gives constantly to everybody. She never thinks about herself. And even throughout this whole journey, she has always been thinking about what she can do to make sure other patients or caregivers can get help with navigating their care,” says Elaine’s husband, Chris. “The amount of feedback we’ve received by sharing her story and our lives and our ability to reach so many people has been insurmountable.”