Stage 1: 130 Real Stories
130 stories match stage 1. 109 of them mention surgery.
Stage I Gastric Cancer: Allen’s Patient Story
Allen Wang sought medical care in 2008 after noticing an unusual feeling in his stomach. An endoscopy and biopsy showed stomach cancer. A community surgeon recommended removing about two-thirds of his stomach through a large incision, but Allen wanted a…
Read this storyStage I Ovarian Cancer: Jane’s Survivor Story
Jane McGrath was 45 when persistent bloating, back pain and fatigue led her to seek medical attention. A transvaginal ultrasound and a second scan showed a growth about the size of an orange on her left ovary. She was referred to Memorial Sloan Kettering…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Sofia’s Survivor Story
Sofia experienced burning pain in both breasts for about two years before her diagnosis. An early examination did not identify a clear problem. When the pain returned, mammography, ultrasound and MRI were performed, and ultrasound showed two cysts in the…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Cheryl’s Survivor Story
Cheryl was 66 and had no symptoms when a mammogram unexpectedly found an abnormality. Further assessment at a breast clinic confirmed stage 1 breast cancer. The news left her withdrawn, disappointed and confused, even though the cancer had been found early…
Read this storyStage I Lung Cancer Survivor Story
This patient was shocked and frightened when doctors diagnosed Stage I lung cancer. Even though the disease had been found early, the words “I had cancer” brought immediate questions about whether chemotherapy or radiation might be needed and whether the…
Read this storyStage I Lung Adenocarcinoma: Julie’s Survivor Story
Julie Jones was 55 when she was diagnosed with Stage I lung adenocarcinoma. Because the cancer was found at an early stage, she underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung. She had completed another half marathon about…
Read this storyStage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Robert’s Survivor Story
Robert Tumanic’s lung cancer was found through follow-up after a pulmonary embolism in 2015. A CT scan showed areas that needed monitoring, and 10 months later they were confirmed as multifocal Stage I non-small cell lung cancer. An oncologist recommended…
Read this storyStage I Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Susan’s Patient Story
Susan had continued annual breast examinations and mammograms because of dense breasts. A July mammogram was read as normal, but in October she felt a new lump in her left breast. A repeat 3-D mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy found invasive ductal carcinoma…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Béatrice’s Survivor Story
Béatrice’s breast cancer was found very early, when the tumor was described as only 2 mm. Because it was detected at such a small size, her treatment path was different from many longer breast cancer journeys. She had a mastectomy with immediate…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Anny’s Survivor Story
Anny’s breast cancer story centers on early detection and long-term recovery. Her cancer was listed as Stage I, meaning it was found at an early point rather than after distant spread. Mammography played an important role in the path to diagnosis. Even an…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Iris’s Survivor Story
Iris was in her 50s when she was diagnosed with 100% hormone-dependent breast cancer in February 2021. Because her mother had died of ovarian cancer and her aunt had breast cancer, Iris had already taken prevention seriously. Genetic testing at 43 had been…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Baerbel’s Survivor Story
Baerbel Grafenbach was 60 when early-stage breast cancer was found in late 2011 through mammography and biopsy. Her doctor described it as a non-aggressive cancer at an early stage and called it a good diagnosis. Because of that, Baerbel was able to take time…
Read this storyStage I Lung Cancer Survivor Story
In January 2007, this woman received a notice after a health screening that she needed more detailed testing. The first hospital raised concern for lung cancer and recommended removal of the left upper lobe. She felt stunned and sought a second opinion…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Jess’s Patient Story
Jess was 54 when breast cancer was found after her sister encouraged her to get a mammogram because of her age. She had not noticed symptoms, so the Stage I diagnosis came as a shock. Fear, sadness, grief, loneliness, and worry hit quickly, and the experience…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Kacey’s Survivor Story
Kacey was 39 when a scheduled mammogram found a small lump. She had not noticed other symptoms, and the result came suddenly: Stage I breast cancer. The diagnosis made her feel frightened, worried, powerless, vulnerable, and disillusioned. She responded by…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Kelly’s Survivor Story
Kelly was 75 when Stage I breast cancer was found after she moved to a new area and registered with a new local GP. As part of that check-up process, she was recommended for a mammogram, which led to the diagnosis. She had also experienced pain, but the…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer Patient Story
A woman in her 40s had her first mammogram and learned she had Stage I breast cancer. Because of the diagnosis, she underwent a total mastectomy. After surgery, she continued with hormone therapy. The physical treatment was only part of the experience. Losing…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer Survivor Story
A daughter described her mother's breast cancer being found after a company health check in April 2009 recommended further testing. A local doctor saw a white shadow in the left breast and first considered calcification, but sent her to a larger hospital to…
Read this storyStage I HR-Positive Breast Cancer Patient Story
On April 17, 2008, a woman’s husband noticed a lump in her right breast. She went to a clinic with mammography, where the lump could also be felt on examination. Cytology soon showed a strong suspicion of malignancy, and she was referred to a hospital…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Amy’s Survivor Story
Amy, 38, was scheduled for a mammogram because of her age when doctors found a tumor in her left breast. She was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer and was told her 5-year survival rate was 90%. The news surprised and confused her, and she felt nervous…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Clara’s Survivor Story
Clara, 48, noticed a small lump on her nipple along with flaky skin on her breast. Those changes led her to seek medical evaluation, and she was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. The news was frightening and confusing, especially because the diagnosis…
Read this storyStage I Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Chickie’s Patient Story
Chickie was 76, married to her high school sweetheart for 54 years, and living an active retirement-community life in Reno, Nevada, when an annual screening changed everything. In March 2023, she was called back for diagnostic screening and ultrasound, then…
Read this storyStage I Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Kathy’s Patient Story
Kathy, a recently retired physician with a career in women’s health and pharmaceutical safety research, was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma in 2019. After years of regular mammograms, she had her first 3-D mammogram in August of that year. An…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Dianne’s Survivor Story
Dianne Austin had been healthy and had kept up with annual mammograms since turning 40, so her 2015 breast cancer diagnosis was a shock. A mammogram found something suspicious that was initially thought likely to be a cyst. Further evaluation showed breast…
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