Chemotherapy: 963 Real Stories
963 stories match chemotherapy. 777 of them mention surgery.
Stage IV ALK Lung Adenocarcinoma: Shirley’s Patient Story
Shirley was 34 when a cough and severe back pain were first treated as possible long COVID or pneumonia. Two bronchoscopies did not give answers. A wedge resection was then done to obtain tissue, and pathology showed adenocarcinoma. PET and MRI scans did not…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Shayla’s Patient Story
Shayla was 33 when years of stomach problems turned into a Stage IV colorectal cancer diagnosis. She had dealt with a sensitive stomach since high school, later received an uncertain celiac diagnosis, and continued to feel unwell despite cutting out gluten…
Read this storyTriple-Negative Breast Cancer: Marissa’s Survivor Story
Marissa Sweitzer’s breast cancer was found just after she gave birth to her daughter, Melody, in February 2024. Late in pregnancy, she had noticed a breast lump while applying lotion. Because breast changes are common during pregnancy, her doctor arranged for…
Read this storyTriple-Negative Breast Cancer: Juliette’s Survivor Story
Juliette Landgrave was 38, healthy and years away from routine mammography when she felt a breast lump in the shower. Imaging found two tumors: the one she could feel and another deeper tumor seen only on MRI. She was diagnosed with triple-negative breast…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Lindy’s Patient Story
Lindy Avalos was 34 and 2.5 months postpartum when she was diagnosed with Stage IV colon adenocarcinoma. During her first pregnancy, she had severe abdominal pain, changes in bowel movements, blood in her stool, poor appetite and worsening pain. Because…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Kate’s Patient Story
Kate was 36 when a bowel obstruction led to her Stage IV colon cancer diagnosis in July 2024. For about a year before that, she had bloating, severe fatigue, constipation and cramping that she attributed to diet changes, work stress, young children and…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Anna’s Survivor Story
Anna was 37 and living in Brooklyn with her husband, Jordan, and their 3-year-old son when she found a breast lump on her birthday. At first, the lump did not feel strongly suspicious to the doctor, and Anna had no obvious family-history or lifestyle risk…
Read this storyStage III BRCA1 Ovarian Cancer: Carla’s Survivor Story
This patient was diagnosed with Stage III high-grade serous ovarian cancer in July 2023 after months of bloating, unexplained weight loss and increasing abdominal pressure. CT scans performed during an emergency-room visit showed two very large ovarian…
Read this storyStage IV Lung Cancer: Natalie’s Patient Story
Natalie Brown was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in June 2020 after about 6 months of testing, including X-rays, CT scans, PET scans and several biopsies. She had been dismissed at times because of her age and lack of smoking history. During one biopsy…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Jose’s Survivor Story
Jose Santos lived with severe ulcerative colitis for 16 years before his Stage III colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2022. The autoimmune disease had caused abdominal pain, bleeding, urgency, weakness, and a major loss of quality of life since his 20s. When…
Read this storyStage III Lung Cancer: Heidi’s Survivor Story
Heidi was diagnosed with Stage IIIA lung cancer in October 2018. She was a lifelong health educator and fitness trainer with no symptoms that made her think of lung cancer. Imaging for an ovarian cyst unexpectedly found a mass in the upper lobe of her left…
Read this storyStage IV EGFR Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Filipe’s Patient Story
Filipe was 36 when a headache and blurred vision led to a Stage IV lung cancer diagnosis. A brain MRI showed 7 brain metastases, including a 4 cm lesion at the back of his head. CT imaging and biopsy confirmed lung cancer as the primary. Liver lesions were…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Monica’s Patient Story
Monica was 32, from Australia and living in Croatia, when she was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. She had stomach pain that was initially brushed off as possible IBS or a gynecologic issue. When she ended up in the hospital, imaging showed a tumor…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Nina’s Survivor Story
Nina was 34 when she noticed hardening under her left armpit. About 1 year later, the lump had grown and her breast began to show dimpling. A mammogram and ultrasound found an abnormal lump, and a biopsy confirmed Stage III breast cancer. Soon afterward…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Jazz’s Patient Story
Jazz, a Texas resident, began having frequent bowel movements, discomfort, and rectal bleeding during a vacation in Hawaii. He first thought the symptoms were hemorrhoids and delayed getting checked, but his girlfriend noticed his weight loss and pushed him…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: Casandra’s Patient Story
Casandra was 38 when she was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. For years, she had rectal bleeding and fatigue that she attributed to hemorrhoids, interstitial cystitis, and later recovery after gastric sleeve surgery. When the bleeding and fatigue…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Jazz’s Patient Story
Jazz Page was diagnosed with Stage III, borderline Stage IV rectal cancer after months of symptoms that he first tried to explain away. During a vacation, he felt the urge to use the bathroom 8 to 10 times a day and never felt fully emptied. He assumed it…
Read this storyStage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Nina’s Survivor Story
Nina was 34 when she was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Her first sign was a hard strip under her left armpit, not the small pea-like lump she had been told to watch for. At first, she was reassured because she was young, had dense breast…
Read this storyStage IV HER2-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Samantha’s Patient Story
Samantha was an active hiker and outdoor adventurer when a mild cough and chest pressure after a trip to India led to a Stage IV lung cancer diagnosis. She had never thought lung cancer was likely because she was a nonsmoker and very health-conscious. At…
Read this storyStage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Lauren’s Survivor Story
Lauren found a lump in her right breast during a self-exam and quickly contacted her doctor. She was referred to radiology for an ultrasound and biopsy, which led to a diagnosis of invasive ductal breast cancer. Her cancer was Stage II. At first, a sentinel…
Read this storyHR-Positive Breast Cancer: Anna’s Survivor Story
Anna Rathkopf was 37 when she found a lump in her breast on her birthday. She was living in Brooklyn with her husband and their 2.5-year-old son, and they had just started thinking about a second child. A prior doctor had told her she did not need a mammogram…
Read this storyHR-Positive Breast Cancer: Anna’s Survivor Story
Anna found a breast lump on her 37th birthday. Her gynecologist initially did not consider it urgent, but Anna pushed for further testing. Because she had dense breast tissue, ultrasound was important in identifying the tumor, and a biopsy confirmed…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jess’s Survivor Story
Jess Thompson was diagnosed with Stage IV bowel cancer at 26 after months of severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, and anemia. The cramping came in sudden episodes that lasted 2 to 3 days, then eased. She also noticed she could no longer climb…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Francina’s Survivor Story
Francina had no breast cancer symptoms when her routine mammogram the day after Christmas found something suspicious. A few days later, her doctor called her back for another mammogram and an ultrasound because a mass had been seen. The ultrasound confirmed…
Read this story