Stage 3: 247 Real Stories
247 stories match stage 3. 209 of them mention chemotherapy.
Stage III Breast Cancer: Christine’s Survivor Story
Christine Cosby was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in March 2018 after finding a lump in her right breast. Before treatment began, she joined a pilot study of exercise-based prehabilitation, giving her a practical way to build strength during the 2…
Read this storyStage III Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Ximena’s Patient Story
Ximena Nardelli, a Colombian woman living in the United States, was diagnosed with breast cancer at 40. She had been careful about yearly breast screening because her sister had breast cancer, but she did not initially feel a breast lump. Before a 2018 trip…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Catalina’s Survivor Story
Catalina was 55 when a small lump in her left breast and tiny prickling sensations made her feel that something was wrong. She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The news left her frightened, helpless and nervous…
Read this storyStage III Gastric Cancer: Abdul’s Patient Story
Abdul had experienced stomach pain for years and often attributed it to fatigue from work. One day the pain became so severe that Abdul could barely stand, and a hospital visit led to a diagnosis of Stage III gastric cancer. The diagnosis brought fear…
Read this storyStage III Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Vanessa’s Survivor Story
Vanessa Sanders had worked at MD Anderson for less than 1 year when she became a patient herself. She had felt a small lump in her left breast for years, but it had not bothered her. Then sharp chest pains began, sometimes so intense that they felt like labor…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Suzanne’s Patient Story
Suzanne Kulliver’s first cancer diagnosis followed an unexpected chain of events in 2015. After losing about 35 pounds through an intensive fitness program, she noticed that her hair was thinning. A visit to her doctor showed that she was anemic, and concern…
Read this storyStage III BRCA1 Ovarian Cancer: Patty’s Patient Story
Patty Klein was in her late 40s when severe pain in her side led to imaging and a diagnosis of Stage III ovarian cancer. The pain came from fluid building up in her abdomen. After diagnosis, she learned that she carried a BRCA1 mutation, which was also found…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Mike’s Patient Story
Mike Fitzpatrick initially ignored symptoms that he thought were caused by a virus. By spring 2008, the symptoms had persisted, and his wife encouraged him to see a doctor. Screening led to a diagnosis of Stage III colon cancer. He was 44 and had six…
Read this storyStage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Renee’s Patient Story
Renee Shine was 63 when a routine checkup on Christmas Eve 2012 led to a chest X-ray and CT scan that found a mass in her right lung. A biopsy confirmed adenocarcinoma, a type of non-small cell lung cancer, with extensive lymph-node involvement. She was…
Read this storyStage III Ovarian Cancer: Angela’s Survivor Story
This patient continued working while receiving chemotherapy for Stage III ovarian cancer. Her oncologist encouraged her to keep as much of her normal routine as possible, and she worked either from home or in the office except on infusion days. She chose not…
Read this storyStage III Ovarian Cancer: Angela’s Survivor Story
An MD Anderson employee was 32 when a routine well-woman exam led to the discovery of a 7-inch mass on her left ovary in 2018. She had noticed some bloating but had attributed it to a recent course of antibiotics. Ultrasound and MRI initially raised the…
Read this storyStage III Gastric Cancer: Holly’s Patient Story
Holly Clegg was a cookbook author and culinary expert who had spent years helping people eat well during cancer treatment. On August 8, 2018, after only 5 days of symptoms, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer despite having no known risk factors. She…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Kathryn’s Survivor Story
Kathryn first noticed swelling between her breasts, changes in breast shape, and irritation in 2019. After seeking medical advice, she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. The diagnosis left her frightened, overwhelmed, isolated, and worried about what…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Carole’s Survivor Story
Carole, 63, is a breast cancer survivor from the United Kingdom. She was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in 2019 after noticing dimpled skin and a small lump around her breast. She did not have other symptoms, so those visible breast changes were what…
Read this storyStage III Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Mary’s Survivor Story
Mary, a retired woman living in Ireland, was diagnosed with stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer in September 2019. She sought medical help after feeling unusual soreness and discomfort during floor exercises in a yoga class. The diagnosis was especially…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Catherine’s Patient Story
Catherine sought hospital care after developing blood in the stool, large clots and changes in bowel habits. Testing led to a diagnosis of Stage III colorectal cancer. Cancer had affected Catherine’s family before, including a grandmother and uncle, which…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Annie’s Patient Story
Annie Schreiber, a 36-year-old mother of 3, first noticed blood in her stool in August 2017 and thought it was probably hemorrhoids. She was young and healthy, and even her first doctor recommended more fiber and water. When symptoms persisted, she was…
Read this storyStage III BRCA2 Breast Cancer: Ashley’s Survivor Story
Ashley was 28 when she was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in January 2017. At the time, she was nursing her youngest child and initially thought the lump in her right breast was a clogged milk duct. Her biggest concern after diagnosis was how cancer…
Read this storyStage III Gastric Adenocarcinoma: Harrison’s Survivor Story
In 2018, Harrison developed persistent stomach discomfort after meals, occasional nausea, early fullness and an unplanned weight loss of about 10 pounds. A gastroenterologist performed an upper endoscopy within 2 weeks, and biopsies confirmed gastric…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Jacquelyn’s Patient Story
Jacquelyn noticed a suspicious change during a breast self-examination and sought medical care. She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Her doctors recommended mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, and she followed the plan. Although she felt…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Rachel’s Survivor Story
Rachel was 34 when she was diagnosed with Stage III colorectal cancer after a colonoscopy. She had gone in expecting another explanation and remembered telling people not to worry because she was too young for cancer. The diagnosis was a shock and changed how…
Read this storyStage III Ovarian Cancer: Dianne’s Patient Story
Dianne Simpson was 73 when she completed treatment for Stage III high-grade serous ovarian cancer in April 2017. Her symptoms had started months earlier with worsening pain, bloating and difficulty sleeping. Initial evaluations did not identify the cause, but…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Melissa’s Patient Story
Melissa Angiolillo was 35 when she was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer. Alongside fear about the disease, she felt pressure to handle cancer with constant positivity. During chemotherapy, when treatment was taking a physical toll, that expectation…
Read this storyStage III Ovarian Cancer: Pam’s Survivor Story
Pam Scarpino was diagnosed with Stage III high-grade serous ovarian cancer in October 2007. She initially stayed close to home for treatment, but an anaphylactic reaction to paclitaxel during her first chemotherapy treatment prompted her to seek care at MD…
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