Sara Sandoval (she/her) was diagnosed with de novo stage IV, triple-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in August 2024, just 40 days before her wedding. At 35, she was healthy, active, and busy planning her big day when she noticed a subtle sensation in her armpit that changed everything. What seemed like a simple muscle strain soon led to a life-changing diagnosis. In just a few weeks, she went from wedding dress fittings to biopsies, from bridal showers to chemotherapy, facing the reality of stage 4 breast cancer.
Sara is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Cancer Unfiltered Magazine, a digital publication that shares honest stories from people living with and beyond breast cancer. Through in-depth articles, advocacy highlights, and community projects, she has helped build a space where patients, survivors, and supporters can find both honesty and hope.
Outside of publishing, Sara works as a marketing and brand strategy executive in the financial technology sector and is also a business owner. She uses her platform to connect professional storytelling with advocacy. She is passionate about raising awareness of the growing number of breast cancer cases among younger women and about the need for more research, representation, and resources for people living with metastatic disease.
Sara has lived with MBC since 2024 and has been NED (no evidence of disease) since October 2025. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Ramiro, and their dogs, Capone and Sicily. She continues to believe that while cancer changes many things, it does not have to define everything.