Brigitte Fasciotto started running 14 years ago at 54 — an age when many runners think about retiring. Since then, she’s completed a half-marathon in every state, not to mention countless 10Ks. Now Brigitte has her sights set on completing one marathon in each state. With only 20 states to go, nothing can stop her — not even cancer.
“In September 2024, just after returning from a race in Kauai, Hawaii, I had a routine mammogram,” Brigitte says. “After a few more imaging scans and a biopsy, I got the diagnosis of papillary carcinoma.”
That was the bad news. The good news was that the cancer hadn’t spread. Her Surgical Oncologist at Yung Family Cancer Center at St. Elizabeth, Joseph Guenther, MD, recommended a course of anastrozole, an oral medicine that would lower her estrogen levels and potentially shrink the tumor. If the medicine worked, the next step would be surgery.
“You Are Not Going to Interfere with My Life!”
“I freaked out for a couple of weeks when I was getting all those tests and waiting for the results,” says Brigitte, who lives in Northern Kentucky and works as a research administrator for the University of Louisville. “But once we had a plan in place, I changed my mindset. I just decided, ‘Look, stage one cancer, you are an inconvenience. And you are not going to interfere with my life.’ I didn’t have time to feel sorry for myself.”
Three weeks into her treatment regimen, Brigitte ran the Detroit Free Press Marathon. Did she feel great? No. But she wasn’t letting cancer call the shots, either.
Speed is Not the Goal
Running is more than a hobby for Brigitte. It’s become the place where she finds community, an excuse to travel all over the country and a source of connection with her family.
“Running has brought a lot of friendships into my life,” she explains. “Several of my running friends are fighting cancer, and when we talk about our experiences, I know I’m not alone in this.”
Brigitte stays connected with friends in between races and plans trips with them to races throughout the U.S. At races, speed is not the goal. “I run-walk the course, taking time to look at the scenery, snap photos and chat with people,” she says. “Someday, I’d like to return to my native country of France and do the Medoc Marathon, which features a glass of wine at every mile marker!”
Brigitte’s passion for running has spread to her family — her son and two of her grandkids are racing, too. In November 2025, Brigitte’s son and her 15-year-old granddaughter joined her in Lexington for The Gobbler Half Marathon/10K/5K.
Brigitte placed third in her age group in the half-marathon. “That’s the nice thing about running at my age,” she jokes. “It’s a lot easier to place since I am competing against a smaller number of people!”
An Unusual Request
Brigitte continued to run half- and full marathons while taking the anastrozole. In February 2025, she officially joined the “50 States Half Marathon Club” at a race in Arizona. The following month, tests showed the anastrozole had shrunk Brigitte’s tumors by about 80%.
“Dr. Guenther said I was ready for surgery to remove the tumors, and I told him, ‘Great, let me check my marathon schedule.’ He laughed and shook his head, and we worked it out.”
The surgery took place about a month later. Brigitte had just two weeks to recover before traveling to Eugene, Ore., for another marathon. In all, Brigitte completed nine marathons in 2025, including the one at Run Crazy Horse in South Dakota in October. After a follow-up mammogram three weeks later, Dr. Guenther declared her cancer-free.
The Caring Team That Made a Difference
Brigitte knows she’s fortunate her treatment didn’t require chemotherapy, radiation or a mastectomy. She attributes much of her good outcome to the care team at the Yung Family Cancer Center at St. Elizabeth.
“The whole team was really, really great — the doctors and nurses are so friendly and open,” she says. “You can tell they care about everyone. It meant so much to me that they worked around my marathon schedule.”
Brigitte still follows up with Dr. Guenther and recently began seeing Aloiya Kremer, MD, to address osteoporosis in her spine. A combination of age, menopause and anastrozole likely contributed to her diagnosis. Dr. Kremer, a Sports Medicine Physician at St. Elizabeth, created a personalized treatment plan that includes medication to help rebuild her bones.
“Osteoporosis raises your risk of fractures, and that is not going to work for me,” Brigitte says. “That would be the end of my running career. No way.”
Inspired to Keep Going
While concerned about the osteoporosis, Brigitte is looking to the future. She hopes her story inspires others to find something they love doing and stick with it, no matter what life throws their way.
“Sometimes I’m the oldest person at the marathon. At Crazy Horse, I finished second-to-last,” she says. “But the important thing is that running keeps me going and gives me purpose. When people cheer me across the finish line, I feel like I’m flying.”
Advanced Care and Holistic Support for People Dealing with Cancer
The Yung Family Cancer Center at St. Elizabeth in Edgewood, Ky., is a place for healing and hope. Our expert team cares for the whole person, not just the cancer. We offer high-quality, personalized Cancer Care right here when you need it most.
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