Michelle James Shares Her Breast Cancer Journey

Michelle James Source: James Johnson Jr.

Michelle James transformed her breast cancer diagnosis into a powerful opportunity to connect not only with her loved ones, but with the world. Now living cancer-free, MJ shared her story with MadameNoire, speaking on the highs and lows of this difficult journey and how she’s living her best life on the other side of her diagnosis.

MJ described the moment she was diagnosed.

The brilliant marketing executive had just turned 40 when she noticed a lump. “I celebrated a big birthday in Turks and Caicos, and I came back and felt this lump on my breast,” she told MadameNoire. “Something told me, this is odd because I hadn’t felt it before.”

Incredibly, MJ detected the tumor within a year of her last mammogram which had come back negative: no abnormalities detected. “So it was between me turning 39 to 40 that the cancer woke up and started to grow,” she said. She was able to feel a tiny lump the size of a pinhead, leaving her doctor stunned. “That’s how small the tumor was,” MJ said.

A biopsy confirmed that it was breast cancer. MJ described the moment she got the call while away at a work conference in 2015. “I gave myself a minute and I just cried from the pure shock of it,” she said. “Then I got myself together and called my mom and my best friend and I said, ‘Don’t worry, I’m going to be fine. We’re going to figure this out.’”

MJ underwent surgery to remove the growth, and did six months of chemotherapy followed by six weeks of radiation. Now living cancer-free, she is on a 10-year regimen of tamoxifen, a medication that reduces the risk of certain breast cancers returning.

‘My support system was critical.’

Undergoing cancer treatment can feel like an isolating experience, but MJ made it work for her. She saw an opportunity to connect with her loved ones and have a little fun. “My support system was critical because a cancer diagnosis can be very lonely,” she said.

MJ brought in her trusted circle to see her chemotherapy sessions up close. “I put them on an infusion schedule,” she laughed. “So every infusion I had, I had a room full of friends. They’d stay with me the whole infusion and we’d just talk and laugh.”

It became an opportunity to bring the whole process to light and erase fear around the unknown. “I wanted them to not be afraid. I wanted them to see what cancer looked like up close and personal,” MJ said. “Not only was it a learning opportunity for me, I made it a learning opportunity for them. So if anyone else in my circle was diagnosed, they wouldn’t be afraid.”

Opening up about her experience opened doors to new opportunities.

MJ admitted that when she first received her diagnosis, she kept the news to herself, letting only her close circle know what she was going through. “When I was diagnosed, I didn’t tell anybody because I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me,” she said.

But she was compelled to speak up when she came across a harrowing statistic. “I was reading an article that said that Black and Brown women were dying at a disproportionate rate from breast cancer,” she said. “I went to bed that night and felt like I needed to do something.”

Michelle James Source: James Johnson Jr.

She became a voice for breast cancer awareness.

In 2019, MJ launched the Cocktails & Cancer podcast with friend and co-host Danielle Brown. The podcast quickly gained traction, beloved for tackling candid conversations about health, wealth and everything in between while celebrating sisterhood and friendship. Following a successful three-season run, MJ and Dani decided to take a pause. “I think after the third season, I had said everything I wanted to say,” MJ said. “People ask about the podcast all the time and I say, ‘Hey, you never know.’ It could come back at any time — probably in a different outlet.”

‘We can be very hard on our bodies.’

Now cancer-free, the tech titan is enjoying a more active lifestyle on the other side of her diagnosis. “Life has changed considerably. What the diagnosis woke up for me was the importance of my health,” MJ said. “It really made me change my lifestyle.”

She reminds women to take good care, knowing how easily keeping up with our health can slip through the cracks of daily life. “Often for women, we’re putting everyone first except for ourselves,” she said. “We can be very hard on ourselves and our bodies.”

Early detection was key for MJ, but treatment options are available at any stage.

MJ was able to detect her cancer early on, allowing her to have a much different conversation with her doctor than if she had waited as it progressed.

Metastatic breast cancer, or stage 4 breast cancer, is cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. While this is considered the most advanced stage of breast cancer, treatment options like chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted drugs are available.

“You might be having a pain that you’ve had for months, and by the time you go to the doctor, you’re at stage 4 and it’s spread,” said MJ. “Versus having stage 1 where you caught it very early and you don’t see any spread. So the conversation becomes different.”

This season of life is about embracing all the sides of herself.

Today, MJ is enjoying life — reflecting on her incredible career, surrounded by loved ones, and appreciating the simple joys of her day-to-day. “I’ve accomplished so much that material things don’t matter to me,” she said. The marketing maven summed up this season of life in a few words: “Brilliant Baddie Befriending My Body.”

“I want to embrace all sides of myself,” she said. “I’m strong, I can also be soft. I can also be weak, and that’s okay. I think you learn that in your forties and especially after a breast cancer diagnosis — you learn to embrace all the sides.”