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Originally published June 26, 2026
Last updated June 26, 2026
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Goldie Chan is a professional at guiding others. As the founder of Los Angeles–based agency Warm Robots, she helps companies develop successful brand strategies. As a keynote speaker and author, she shows rising professionals how to shape their own personal brand. But when Goldie was suddenly diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2022, she found herself without a roadmap, needing to navigate a new world as a cancer patient.
When she was diagnosed, Goldie was already a regular patient of Keck Medicine of USC, where her primary care doctor was Katherine Gibson, MD. After a breast exam in early 2022, additional testing and biopsies revealed that Goldie had Stage II breast cancer.
Goldie was classified as an adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patient, meaning a person diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15 and 39.
The news came as a shock to Goldie, who was a thriving professional busy traveling, hanging out at cafes with friends and staying active. “Physically, I felt strong, as I had been working out or doing hot yoga daily,” Goldie says.
She was quickly referred to the breast cancer specialists of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of Keck Medicine. There, her team was led by breast surgical oncologist Fumito Ito, MD, PhD, and medical oncologist and hematologist Danielle Sterrenberg, MD.
Goldie began six months of treatment on multiple chemotherapy drugs. She then underwent surgery at USC Norris Cancer Hospital for a lumpectomy in October 2022, followed by four weeks of daily radiation therapy. At the start of 2023, she began six months of infusions with a targeted anticancer medication — ado-trastuzumab emtansine — used to treat patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.
Goldie remembers how foreign these experiences were — and how her Keck Medicine care team helped her throughout, answering any questions she had. “I had a laundry list of questions,” she recalls.
They gave her tools for keeping track of the vast amounts of information she was getting. Goldie recounts, “While it was confusing and overwhelming at times, it was very helpful that Dr. Ito initially gave me a booklet and a binder to store business cards and documents. I was then able to have a system for storing papers and important documents.”
Then came treatment. “The treatment itself was very difficult physically,” Goldie says. “Chemotherapy started out easy. But by the third round, everything tasted like hot, metallic trash, and I was struggling to drink Ensure to get enough calories. I started to suffer from deep exhaustion, lack of appetite, neuropathy in my hands and feet, hair loss, stress and anxiety and also chronic dehydration. Sometimes, I would struggle simply to sit up straight.”
Through it all, her care team monitored her closely, administering emergency infusions when needed and helping her find clinics near her home whenever commuting was too difficult. They also made sure to immediately scan and biopsy any concerning areas that emerged to ensure the cancer wasn’t growing or spreading.
Goldie says other kinds of support made a big difference, too. “One helpful thing during treatment was constantly being offered warm blankets — a simple gesture that was so welcome,” she says. She also describes the nursing team as “so warm and helpful, offering hugs when I needed them.” During treatment, Goldie also found comfort in wearing custom gloves and socks with ice packs, as well as a light therapy helmet to block neuropathy and to try to prevent hair loss, although she did lose her hair after her last round of chemotherapy.
Goldie remembers the jarring feeling of not seeing other young cancer patients around her. “As an AYA patient, it often felt isolating to not look like other patients in the infusion room and patient queues. I often had older patients push me aside because they thought I was a caretaker instead of a patient,” she remembers.
Through it all, Goldie’s loved ones were there. “In the beginning, I received a mountain of ‘get well’ gifts from friends, family and fans, including more than 10 pounds of ginger candy, nearly 100 pairs of fuzzy socks and more. Another comforting gift I received from a friend was a cow that could be heated in the microwave.”
Her digital media savvy helped her stay in touch with her network during treatment. “I relied on Twitter at the time to share my statuses and my #proofoflife pictures to share that I was still alive,” she says.
When Goldie completed her last infusion in July 2023 and her infusion port was finally removed, “it felt like a huge milestone,” she says.
Goldie will continue receiving hormone therapy for the next 10 years to reduce estrogen levels and the risk of cancer reoccurring. She also takes daily oral medications of exemestane and occasional injections of leuprolide to lower estrogen levels, plus periodic infusions with zoledronic acid to strengthen her bones.
Dr. Sterrenberg calls Goldie’s prognosis positive. “Goldie has shown remarkable strength throughout her treatment, and it’s incredibly gratifying to see how well she is doing today,” she says.
“Recovery is a winding process,” Goldie says. “I still go back to the hospital for post-treatment. Most days I feel better, as my appetite is back, but emotionally I now struggle with aspects of cancer survivorship. It is an up-and-down process as I go through feelings of loss and gratefulness to be alive.”
Her advice to other cancer patients, especially younger ones, is to lean on your circle of friends and ask for help when you need it. She remembers how her own “personal care team of Rob, Candy and Jamie” helped drive her to and from doctor appointments, surgeries and biopsies and to pick up any medications she needed. Also, she recommends, “Bring a large tote bag or rolling bag that can hold any snacks, water, books or games that you might want during treatment.”
Goldie is busy back at work, where she continues to share her perspectives, now further deepened by her cancer journey. Her insights have been published in outlets like Forbes, The New York Times and Fast Company.
In October 2025, Goldie experienced another milestone: publication of her first book, “Personal Branding for Introverts.” In the bestselling book, Goldie also describes her cancer experience and thanks her Keck Medicine care team for helping her through a very difficult time.
“Cancer is a journey where becoming a survivor is a new stage of life,” she says. “It’s not easy, but it’s much easier with a good team around you.”
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