Radiation: 614 Real Stories
614 stories match radiation. 511 of them mention surgery.
Stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Cynthia’s Survivor Story
Cynthia Jordan never missed her annual mammogram, but dense breast tissue made her cancer difficult to find. In 2018, a mammogram showed an architectural distortion, and follow-up imaging and biopsy led to a diagnosis of Stage IIB invasive ductal carcinoma…
Read this storyStage III Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Neda’s Survivor Story
Neda was 48 and living in Seattle when her breast cancer journey began. In April 2020, she felt a large lump in her left breast. Mammography and ultrasound did not show cancer, and she received a letter noting dense breast tissue and recommending another…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Sarah’s Patient Story
Sarah McDonald was 44 and pursuing fertility treatment with her husband when she received 2 unrelated cancer diagnoses within 2 months. The first was incurable salivary gland cancer, found after she noticed a lump in the floor of her mouth after a deep teeth…
Read this storyStage III HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Sarah’s Survivor Story
Sarah McDonald was 44 when she was diagnosed with 2 unrelated cancers within 2 months. Surgery for a rare salivary gland cancer prompted her to re-examine a breast lump first noticed 6 years earlier. Annual mammograms had not shown a clear problem because she…
Read this storyStage I Lung Cancer: Terri’s Survivor Story
Terri Ann DiJulio’s lung cancer was first found by accident after she went to the emergency room with chest pressure. Her heart was fine, but imaging showed a nodule in her right lung. The nodule stayed stable for about 2 years, then changed. During surgery…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jason’s Survivor Story
Jason Randall was diagnosed with Stage IV sigmoid colon cancer on July 17, 2018, after severe abdominal pain and bowel obstruction symptoms led to imaging. About 80% of his liver was covered with metastatic disease, and his sigmoid colon was fully blocked, so…
Read this storyStage II HR-Positive Lung Cancer: Christine’s Survivor Story
Christine’s lung cancer was found during treatment for a separate Stage III triple-positive breast cancer. Extensive testing for the breast cancer included scans of the liver, brain, chest, abdomen, pelvis, and reproductive organs. A lung nodule was seen, but…
Read this storyStage III HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Christine’s Survivor Story
Christine Elliott was 31 when she noticed a large, hard, fixed breast lump while lying in bed. She had also felt tired, pale, stressed, and increasingly anxious, but the visible divot and the lump made her seek care. Imaging, biopsy, and MRI showed Stage III…
Read this storyStage IV HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Abigail’s Patient Story
Abigail Myers was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2014, just over a year after the birth of her son. Testing showed triple-positive disease, with estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors. Her initial treatment included a double mastectomy, radiation…
Read this storyStage III Colorectal Cancer: Amy’s Survivor Story
Amy was 34 when she was diagnosed with Stage IIIB colorectal cancer associated with Lynch syndrome. Treatment was described as a marathon in 3 legs. The first leg was 6 weeks of chemotherapy plus radiation. After a break, she underwent a 9.5-hour operation…
Read this storyStage III MSI-High Colorectal Cancer: Amy’s Patient Story
Amy Hart was 34, a mother of 2, and trying to understand why she felt increasingly “off.” Early bloodwork looked normal, and her symptoms were attributed to anxiety, so she began counseling and focused on mental health. The symptoms kept getting worse. She…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Carmen’s Survivor Story
Carmen Susman was active and felt healthy when urinary symptoms unexpectedly led to a Stage IV colorectal cancer diagnosis. In November 2021, he had a renal ultrasound to check for kidney stones. Instead, the test found a mass on his liver. Follow-up tests…
Read this storySmall Cell Lung Cancer: Mary’s Survivor Story
Mary Casanova learned she had small cell lung cancer in October 2017 after feeling a lump under her arm following a yoga class. At first, she feared breast cancer, and the period from late October through December was emotionally overwhelming. A second doctor…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Renée’s Patient Story
Renée first had cancer at 18, when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Treatment had to move too quickly for fertility preservation, and she was told it would likely cause infertility. She received intensive chemotherapy, total-body radiation, and…
Read this storyTriple-Negative Breast Cancer: Lucy’s Survivor Story
Lucy E. was diagnosed with grade 3 triple-negative breast cancer 3 days after her 24th birthday. She had found a breast lump and pushed for biopsy even after being told it was likely fibrous tissue. She already knew she carried a BRCA1 mutation, which made…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Amanda’s Survivor Story
Amanda was 71 when a black spot noticed during a routine check led to further investigation. A mammogram confirmed stage 2 breast cancer. The diagnosis brought fear, helplessness and worry, but she trusted her medical team and followed the recommended…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Shuyuan’s Patient Story
Shuyuan first found a breast lump during a self-examination in 2021. An ultrasound at a local clinic suggested that it was benign, and she had no other symptoms at the time. In November 2023, the lump became visibly prominent, prompting another medical…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Daniela’s Survivor Story
Daniela, 51, is a sales administrator from Colombia and a mother of one. She was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer after noticing a spot on her breast and reddishness. Her doctor told her the estimated 5-year survival rate was 70%. The diagnosis left her…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Grace’s Patient Story
Grace was diagnosed with breast cancer after routine mammography, ultrasound, and excision biopsies. Fatigue was the only symptom she identified. The diagnosis left her fearful, overwhelmed, helpless, and at times isolated, although she remained hopeful that…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Mina’s Patient Story
During a health check, Mina was initially evaluated for possible myeloma, and her breast examination was postponed. After myeloma was ruled out, a later visit led to an immediate biopsy that confirmed breast cancer. Feeling that the first doctor had not…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Angelina’s Patient Story
Angelina, 56, sought medical help after a lump in her breast kept growing. She was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer and was told her 5-year survival rate was 95%. Her doctors recommended a treatment regimen that included DIEP mastectomy, chemotherapy…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Diana’s Patient Story
Diana, 44, is from Colombia, has 2 children, and works in accounting as a financial technologist. She was being monitored for a lump in her left breast that was first biopsied and considered benign. Two years later, the lump worsened, and she also developed…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Anne’s Patient Story
Anne, 53, learned she had Stage II breast cancer in September 2023 after a mammogram showed an abnormality that needed more testing. She was already working in Taoyuan, so she completed additional tests at another hospital. After researching her diagnosis…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Gayna’s Survivor Story
Gayna, 57, first noticed flattening on the underside of her left breast. That change led her to seek medical advice, and she was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. She felt relatively neutral when she first received the news, but the diagnosis still pushed…
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