BRCA Ovarian Cancer: Christie's Patient Story
This ovarian cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Biomarkers
- BRCA mutation
- Sex
- female
- Treatment
- surgery and chemotherapy
- Outcome
- Care Ongoing
Treatment course, step by step
- Underwent surgery in early March 2020 after a complex ovarian cyst was found.
- An intraoperative biopsy showed ovarian cancer, so the procedure was converted to open surgery to remove the tumor.
- Received 6 additional rounds of chemotherapy after surgery.
What happened, in summary
Christie Siebel already knew she carried a BRCA mutation and had previously been treated for triple-negative breast cancer. She had been considering preventive gynecologic surgery when her care team found a complex ovarian cyst.
In early March 2020, Christie underwent surgery to remove the cyst. Her team had warned that it might be benign or it might be cancer. An intraoperative biopsy showed ovarian cancer, so the operation was converted to an open procedure to remove the tumor. Christie spent the next week recovering in the hospital without visitors because of COVID-19 precautions.
After surgery, she received 6 rounds of chemotherapy and continued working as a clinical dietitian. At the latest update, Christie was doing well and having a CA125 blood test every 3 months for ovarian cancer follow-up. Her breast cancer treatment is kept separate from this record so the two cancer journeys remain distinct.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by MD Anderson. Read the original in full
How we source and attribute stories Accuracy and limitations
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team. Read the full disclaimer