Chemotherapy: 963 Real Stories
963 stories match chemotherapy. 777 of them mention surgery.
Stage IV Lung Cancer: Bill’s Patient Story
Bill Smith had no symptoms when a routine preoperative physical in 2010 led his doctor to order a chest X-ray and refer him to a lung specialist. He was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. A full-body scan also found 2 tumors in his brain, and he had gamma…
Read this storyEGFR-mutated lung cancer on AZD9291 clinical trial with improved symptoms
This Noxte post was written from Asturias, where the patient had gone after an oncology visit in Majadahonda. The visit on 15 July focused on toxicity monitoring for AZD9291, the study drug he was receiving through a clinical trial. The checks were…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Stephanie’s Survivor Story
Stephanie Spiesz was 50 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2013. She had noticed lumps in her left breast but was not especially worried until her husband urged her to see a doctor. Within days, she had a checkup, mammogram and biopsy, and…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Mauriel’s Survivor Story
Mauriel Davis sought a mammogram after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had felt a small lump months earlier but had ignored it until her mother urged her to get checked. At a Cleveland Clinic OB/GYN visit, the area was first thought to be a…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Steve’s Survivor Story
Steve B., a 30-year-old computer programmer, noticed intermittent rectal bleeding and the feeling that he needed to use the bathroom but could not. His family physician knew Steve had a family history of colon cancer and recommended colonoscopy. The test…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Kim’s Survivor Story
Kim Austin, 53, initially connected urgent bowel changes and traces of blood in her stool to stress. She also had a dull pelvic ache. After discussing the symptoms with her primary care physician, CT and MRI imaging showed a questionable liver mass. A…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Ralph’s Survivor Story
At 58, this patient began having repeated episodes of extreme fatigue. A blood test showed very low hemoglobin, and transfusions helped temporarily, but the fatigue kept returning. After several transfusions, further investigation identified stomach cancer as…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Shirley’s Survivor Story
Shirley, from Canada, was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer in 2016 after finding a hard lump in her left breast. The news brought anger, fear and sadness, although she also held onto a sense of hope. Her doctors recommended breast-conserving surgery with…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Sandra’s Patient Story
Sandra Sankar Poukkula was diagnosed with gastric cancer at age 39. Genetic testing identified a CDH1 mutation inherited from her father. Her brother had previously died from gastric cancer at age 37, giving the diagnosis a strong family context. Sandra…
Read this storyStage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Sarah’s Patient Story
Sarah Cawley, a 32-year-old physician assistant and mother of 2, first noticed a breast lump while breastfeeding. That lump was a milk cyst, but she was advised to return after breastfeeding ended. At the next visit, another lump was found and monitored…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Brittany’s Patient Story
A recurrence of ovarian cancer made the summer of 2014 especially difficult for this patient. The patient spent a total of 70 days in the hospital, including 58 days at MD Anderson. During that period, the patient needed a nasogastric tube, underwent two…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Dawn’s Survivor Story
Dawn Eicher had intermittent bleeding from age 21, but for years she was told she was too young for cancer. In 2012, while pregnant at 35, she developed worsening bleeding, mucus, narrowing stools, and pain. Her symptoms continued after the birth of her son…
Read this storyLung cancer diary: chemotherapy completed and supportive symptom strategies
This lung cancer diary entry was written after the patient had finished chemotherapy and was waiting for the next PET scan, scheduled for December 9, 2014. A conversation during chemotherapy with another long-term lung cancer survivor made him think about the…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Brittany’s Patient Story
At 25, this patient was receiving chemotherapy for ovarian cancer when hair loss became one of the most visible parts of treatment. About 13 days after starting chemotherapy, hair began appearing on the pillow and in the shower. Around 6 days later, the…
Read this storyThe Loss of a Mother
The narrator’s mother was diagnosed with Stage IV gastric cancer. Two months later, her daughter became pregnant and took on an intensive caregiver and advocacy role while continuing to work. Her mother received chemotherapy and needed help with medications…
Read this storyStage III BRCA1 Ovarian Cancer: Meredith’s Survivor Story
Meredith Ippolito’s ovarian cancer was discovered unexpectedly in 2008. She had sought care for rectal bleeding, and a colonoscopy found flat polyps but no cancer. Doctors decided to perform a colon resection. During that operation, cancer was found, and…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Sara’s Patient Story
Sara Souto Strom built her career around understanding why people develop cancer and what influences survival. In 2002, that work became personal when an acid taste in her mouth led her to have an endoscopy. The test revealed early-stage stomach cancer. Sara…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Betty’s Survivor Story
Betty White first saw her gynecologist in 1997 because of persistent fatigue and lower abdominal pain. Initial testing did not reveal a clear problem, but her symptoms continued. Three months later, she underwent a laparoscopy followed by a complete…
Read this storyStage IV Ovarian Cancer: Bre’s Patient Story
At age 26, this patient had worsening bloating, stomach problems and abdominal pain that several doctors initially dismissed. An emergency-room CT scan showed large tumors, and surgery that had been expected to be straightforward instead revealed Stage IV…
Read this storyTriple-Negative Breast Cancer: Robin’s Survivor Story
Robin Roberts, anchor of Good Morning America, became a public face of triple-negative breast cancer after sharing her own diagnosis. She had found the cancer early and went public in July, a decision she described as the moment healing began. A formal stage…
Read this storyStage III Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Bridgette’s Survivor Story
Bridgette was 66 when she found a lump under her arm in the shower. Just 3 weeks earlier, her mammogram had been reported as clear. Further testing led to a stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis in May 2012. The diagnosis was frightening…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Martha’s Survivor Story
Martha was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer more than a decade ago after the cancer was found during a health examination. She had no symptoms and no family history of breast cancer, so the diagnosis was unexpected. She sought a second opinion while…
Read this storyStage I BRCA1 Breast Cancer: Karen’s Patient Story
Karen first had a breast lump biopsied and learned that it was a benign galactocele. A separate, asymptomatic lesion was found in the other breast and became the focus of follow-up. When it was rechecked and biopsied three months later, it was diagnosed as…
Read this storyStage 0 Breast Cancer: Linda’s Survivor Story
Linda, originally from Malaysia, found a lump above her right breast while showering in 2007. Further evaluation showed stage 0 breast cancer. She had no other symptoms. The diagnosis left her worried, nervous, and overwhelmed. Following her doctor’s…
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