What happened, in summary

Chen Wen Ye was 18 and one week away from high school graduation when worsening abdominal pain and bloating led to an emergency visit in May 2019. She had gained almost 10 pounds in a week, and further evaluation confirmed mucinous ovarian cancer. A week later, surgeons removed a grapefruit-sized cancerous tumor beside her left ovary along with the ovary itself.

Chen then completed 6 rounds of chemotherapy over 5 months. Fatigue was especially difficult, and she often felt isolated because most patients around her were much older. Her friends left for college while she was still in treatment, and she postponed starting university until spring 2020.

As follow-up continued, Chen began turning her experience into support for others. She joined Dana-Farber patient and family advisory activities, mentored other ovarian cancer patients, and spent time in a cancer research laboratory while studying biochemistry. Nearly 5 years after diagnosis, she was cancer-free and planning to pursue medical and research training focused on gynecologic cancers.