Stage IV Ovarian Cancer: Janelle's Patient Story
This ovarian cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Sex
- female
- Treatment
- surgery, chemotherapy and clinical trial
Treatment course, step by step
- Janelle underwent surgery for ovarian cancer.
- She received chemotherapy.
- In 2001, she received a stem cell transplant as part of a Phase II clinical trial.
What happened, in summary
Janelle Kister faced a Stage IV ovarian cancer diagnosis but chose to move quickly into treatment. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy, then received a stem cell transplant in 2001 as part of a Phase II clinical trial.
Her recovery was long, but she was still doing well 17 years later. About a year after treatment ended, Janelle joined a one-on-one support network for patients and caregivers. She began talking with women around the country who were newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer and often frightened about what the diagnosis might mean.
Janelle used her own experience to offer practical advice and reassurance. She encouraged other patients to stay hopeful and to advocate for themselves. Her cancer journey also influenced her professional life. After working as an intensive care nurse elsewhere, she joined MD Anderson in 2008 and later worked in perioperative clinical development.
Colleagues often asked her to speak with ovarian cancer patients. Janelle described her long survival as a reason to keep helping people who were walking a path she understood personally.
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