For eight years, Cindy Foust believed breast cancer was behind her.
Diagnosed in 2012 with stage zero breast cancer, Cindy underwent a double mastectomy. With no lymph node involvement and no need for chemotherapy or radiation, she was reassured that she would never have to worry about breast cancer again.
Then, in August 2020, everything changed.
In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cindy learned her cancer had returned and spread to her spine. The diagnosis was stage four metastatic breast cancer, and she faced the possibility of undergoing treatment for the rest of her life.
Today, six years into her second cancer journey, Cindy is celebrating news she once thought impossible. Her doctors have told her that her cancer is gone, and she is looking forward to completing treatment at FMOL Health | St. Francis.
Her journey of resilience and hope is also being celebrated by the University of Louisiana Monroe, where she works, as Cindy was recognized as an FMOL Health | St. Francis Warhawk of the Game.
Facing Breast Cancer a Second Time
When Cindy’s cancer returned in 2020, the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic made an already frightening diagnosis even more difficult.
With cancer spreading beyond its original location, she faced an aggressive course of treatment and a future that suddenly looked very different.
Cindy began receiving treatment under the care of Scott Barron, MD, and his oncology team. She underwent chemotherapy in 2020 and 2021 and has continued receiving immunotherapy every three weeks through the St. Francis Oncology Clinic.
For years, Cindy approached her diagnosis as a chronic condition she would manage indefinitely. Regular appointments, scans and treatments became part of her routine.
Throughout the experience, she also became an advocate for breast cancer awareness, encouraging women to pay attention to changes in their health and seek medical attention when something seems wrong.
“Be an advocate for your health. Have your annual screenings,” Cindy says. “Early detection is critical. So don’t ignore symptoms and certainly take care of yourself.”
Her experience has also strengthened her belief in the importance of having a trusted healthcare team close to home.
Finding Family in Her Care Team
After six years of cancer treatment, Cindy knows the St. Francis Oncology Clinic well. She also knows the people who care for her, and they know much more about her than her medical history.
From Dr. Barron and nurse practitioner Danielle Traweek, NP, to nurses Ramona and Amanda, Cindy has developed close relationships with the team that has supported her throughout her treatment.
They exchange stories about their children, talk about vacations and celebrate holidays together. Cindy often brings gifts for her caregivers, including homemade bread pudding at Christmas.
“When I go into the St. Francis Oncology Clinic every three weeks, I’m greeted with hugs,” Cindy says. “They just love you and you know it, and they’re standing in the gap with you.”
Those relationships have helped Cindy navigate the emotional challenges that accompany cancer treatment.
She understands how difficult it can be to sit in an oncology waiting room, surrounded by others facing their own diagnoses and uncertain futures. She has also seen how much encouragement can mean to someone beginning treatment.
At times, her nurses have connected her with newly diagnosed patients who could benefit from hearing her experience. Cindy welcomes those conversations, sharing the hope that helped her through her most difficult days.
Her connection to the St. Francis team has become a lasting part of her cancer journey, one she says she will always treasure.
The News She Never Expected
For years, Cindy believed immunotherapy every three weeks would be part of her life indefinitely.
Then, during a follow-up appointment in August 2026, she received extraordinary news. Her doctors told her that her cancer was gone and had shown no evidence of activity since her earlier chemotherapy treatments.
The news left her speechless.
“I did not see that coming at all,” Cindy recalls. “I don’t know what to say because you’re always waiting on the other shoe to drop.”
After years of living from scan to scan, Cindy had conditioned herself to expect lifelong treatment. Learning that she could potentially finish treatment in another year was overwhelming.
She returned to Monroe and shared the news with her St. Francis care team, including Dr. Barron, who celebrated alongside her.
Cindy still has approximately one year of immunotherapy remaining, but she now looks forward to the possibility of having her port removed and completing treatment.
The experience has given her a renewed appreciation for the life she has continued building throughout her diagnosis, including time with her husband of 31 years, their two children and their young granddaughter.
Two Communities Coming Together
Cindy’s breast cancer journey has unfolded alongside another important part of her life: her work at ULM.
A West Monroe native, Cindy has spent eight years at the university and currently serves as executive director of the ULM Foundation, overseeing advancement, foundation and alumni operations.
Her connection to the university runs throughout her family. Cindy, her husband and their son are ULM graduates, and their daughter is preparing to graduate in May.
Throughout her treatment, Cindy says her ULM colleagues have supported her just as her caregivers at St. Francis have.
“Like St. Francis, ULM has stood in the gap for me through six years of breast cancer treatment,” Cindy says.
Being recognized as a Warhawk of the Game brings those two communities together in a particularly meaningful way. On October 31 during the ULM game against Southern Miss, Cindy took the field with her family and represented the hospital that has cared for her and the university that has supported her.
For Cindy, the honor represents the support, compassion and community that have carried her through six years of treatment.
“I just feel very honored to stand alongside these two forces that have given me this optimal outcome,” Cindy says. “I just couldn’t be prouder than that.”
