Chemotherapy: 963 Real Stories
963 stories match chemotherapy. 777 of them mention surgery.
Breast Cancer: Laura’s Survivor Story
Laura's breast cancer journey began after she experienced sharp pain in her right breast and nipple discharge. The diagnosis brought intense uncertainty, including fear of dying and fear of how treatment would affect her. Her care included surgery to remove…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Alexandria’s Patient Story
Alexandria was 27 when she felt a hard breast lump in the shower. The ultrasound happened the day after her birthday, and the biopsy found abnormal cells that led to a breast cancer diagnosis. She waited to tell her parents until the diagnosis was clearer…
Read this storyStage IV RET Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Sara’s Patient Story
Sara Whitlock was 47 when she was diagnosed in 2010 with Stage IV lung cancer and told her chance of surviving 5 years was about 3%. She feared she would not see her daughters grow up. Her lung cancer was non-small cell lung cancer caused by a RET fusion, a…
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 IV EGFR Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Ginger’s Patient Story
Ginger Tam sought care for a persistent cough and learned that she had Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. The diagnosis was devastating for the single mother, whose daughter was 8 at the time. She sought a second opinion at a research hospital and became…
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 IV ALK Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: James’s Patient Story
James “Rocky” Lagno developed a persistent dry cough around Thanksgiving 2010. As his breathing worsened and he began coughing up blood, lung cancer became a concern. He was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer and went to Boston for intravenous…
Read this storyStage I Ovarian Cancer: Mary’s Survivor Story
Mary “Dicey” Jackson Scroggins spent about 2 years dealing with abdominal bloating, weight gain, frequent urination and heavy menstrual bleeding before ovarian cancer was discovered. In September 1996, at age 46, she underwent a hysterectomy for fibroids and…
Read this storyStage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Donna’s Patient Story
Donna Fernandez was 59 and active with her dogs when unexplained weight gain led her to a primary care visit. Her doctor felt a knot near her collarbone and arranged imaging. A PET scan and biopsy ultimately showed Stage IV nonsquamous non-small cell lung…
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 IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Kate’s Survivor Story
Kate Watson was 35, with 2 young daughters, when she learned she had Stage IV HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. The cancer had already spread beyond the breast to lymph nodes in her chest and to spots in her spine, pelvis and one femur. The diagnosis…
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 storyBreast Cancer: Brittney’s Survivor Story
Brittney Rinella was 26 and planning her wedding when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After discussing options with Cleveland Clinic oncologist Dr. Halle Moore and the rest of her care team, Brittney chose a double mastectomy followed by chemotherapy…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Margaret’s Survivor Story
Margaret was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in December 2015 after changes in her left breast were easy to explain away at first. In late 2014, she noticed that her nipple was inverting and that the breast seemed to be shrinking. She was training for…
Read this storyStage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Margaret’s Survivor Story
Margaret’s fuller treatment story starts with the same breast changes she first noticed in late 2014: an inverted nipple and shrinking appearance in the left breast. A standard mammogram did not clearly show cancer, but a later 3D mammogram found the tumor…
Read this storySmall Cell Lung Cancer: Tabby’s Survivor Story
At age 26, Tabby Soignier developed bloating, pain and headaches while trying to get in shape for her brother's wedding. An ultrasound eventually showed a 15 cm tumor wrapped around her right ovary. She underwent urgent surgery to remove the tumor and ovary…
Read this storyHER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Jane’s Survivor Story
Jane Dennington was living in Haiti with her husband, Bud, doing missionary work when she noticed a growing lump in her breast. Local X-ray equipment malfunctioned, and she was told everything looked fine, but Jane knew the lump was getting bigger. She…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Lena’s Patient Story
Lena found a lump during a breast self-examination and went to the hospital for further evaluation. She was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. After considering her doctor’s recommendation and doing her own research, she underwent a lumpectomy to remove…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Aura’s Patient Story
Aura, 49, discovered 2 small lumps in her right breast and was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. Her treatment included mastectomy, lymphadenectomy, hysterectomy, and chemotherapy. Afterward, she remained on hormone therapy. The diagnosis changed her…
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 II Breast Cancer: Ana’s Survivor Story
Ana was 47 when she noticed a lump in her left breast while showering. Part of the nipple also pulled inward and retracted again when she tried to move it. When referral through her health insurer was taking too long, she sought help from a nonprofit…
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