Radiation: 614 Real Stories
614 stories match radiation. 511 of them mention surgery.
Stage 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…
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 IV Breast Cancer: Magnolia’s Survivor Story
Magnolia, from Colombia, was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer after noticing a hard breast mass. Her menstrual periods had stopped at age 45, and the symptoms developed over several months before she sought medical care. The diagnosis left her…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Kathryn’s Survivor Story
Kathryn first noticed swelling between her breasts, changes in breast shape, and irritation in 2019. After seeking medical advice, she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. The diagnosis left her frightened, overwhelmed, isolated, and worried about what…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Carole’s Survivor Story
Carole, 63, is a breast cancer survivor from the United Kingdom. She was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in 2019 after noticing dimpled skin and a small lump around her breast. She did not have other symptoms, so those visible breast changes were what…
Read this storyStage II HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Cath’s Survivor Story
Cath, 63, was diagnosed with Stage II luminal A breast cancer in May 2019 after a routine 2-yearly mammogram led to more imaging and a biopsy. She had no symptoms, and the cancer was described as ER-positive, PR-positive, and HER2-negative. At first she felt…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Eliza’s Patient Story
A routine mammogram identified a suspicious finding that led to Eliza's diagnosis of stage 2 breast cancer. She initially felt helpless, overwhelmed, frightened, and worried about what lay ahead. Her doctors recommended a lumpectomy, radiation therapy, and…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Joyce’s Survivor Story
Joyce McCain, 65, was diagnosed with breast cancer after a mammogram found a mass in her left breast. A follow-up mammogram, immediate ultrasound and biopsy confirmed cancer. After reviewing options, she chose a lumpectomy, a breast-conserving surgery that…
Read this storyStage IV Lung Cancer: Cynthia’s Patient Story
Cynthia Hess had long dealt with neck problems, but this pain was different. Rest, pain medication and chiropractic care did not help. After a doctor visit and X-rays, she learned the cause was Stage IV lung cancer that had spread to her spine. The neck pain…
Read this storyStage I Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Julie’s Patient Story
Julie Martin had recently received a normal mammogram when her sister called to say she had stage 2 breast cancer. Because Julie also had dense breast tissue, the new family history prompted her to return to her doctor and request additional testing. Imaging…
Read this storyStage III BRCA2 Breast Cancer: Ashley’s Survivor Story
Ashley was 28 when she was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in January 2017. At the time, she was nursing her youngest child and initially thought the lump in her right breast was a clogged milk duct. Her biggest concern after diagnosis was how cancer…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Michael’s Patient Story
Michael Johnston was diagnosed with male breast cancer in 2009. His treatment included surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, all within a single calendar year. After going through that intensive period of care, he made a personal commitment to increase…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Ana’s Survivor Story
Ana, 51, was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer after an unexpected workup. She had no family history of cancer and wanted a second opinion because she felt her first doctor had not given her enough information. She also described noticing blood from the…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Jacquelyn’s Patient Story
Jacquelyn noticed a suspicious change during a breast self-examination and sought medical care. She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Her doctors recommended mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, and she followed the plan. Although she felt…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Tonya’s Survivor Story
Tonya, a radiographer and mother of two, was living in Ireland when a routine mammogram led to a same-day biopsy. She received the biopsy result 3 days later and learned that she had breast cancer. Tonya first chose lumpectomy after her doctor recommended…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Do’s Survivor Story
At age 78, Do Lee faced stomach cancer after already losing his wife of almost 40 years to the same disease. Her cancer had been Stage IV, and watching her treatment initially made Do reluctant to undergo similar care himself. Persistent severe diarrhea…
Read this storyHER2-Positive Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Trish’s Patient Story
Trish Vickery learned in 2013 that she had inflammatory breast cancer, a diagnosis that carried particular weight because her mother had died from the same disease. At age 58, Trish described coming to Dana-Farber as one of the luckiest decisions of her life…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Marianne’s Survivor Story
Marianne Gongos was 60 when a lump appeared in her left breast in 2011. She was already living with chronic myeloid leukemia, diagnosed in 1999, and had reached remission through a clinical drug trial. Surgery confirmed breast cancer, leading to removal of…
Read this storyLung Cancer: Diego’s Patient Story
Diego wrote this entry after more than a month away from the blog, describing a difficult but meaningful pause in his lung cancer course. He had spent about 10 days hospitalized because pain in the hip and left iliac region had become unbearable. Chemotherapy…
Read this storyStage III Ovarian Cancer: Pam’s Survivor Story
Pam Scarpino was diagnosed with Stage III high-grade serous ovarian cancer in October 2007. She initially stayed close to home for treatment, but an anaphylactic reaction to paclitaxel during her first chemotherapy treatment prompted her to seek care at MD…
Read this storyStage IV HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Sarah’s Patient Story
Sarah was 37 when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer had affected several women in her family: her grandmother was a 40-year survivor, her aunt a 20-year survivor, and her mother had also been diagnosed. Sarah said her family did not…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Theresa’s Survivor Story
Theresa Cotton was 49 when she opened her colonoscopy results alone in a hospital parking lot and learned she had cancer. She called her husband immediately, then started researching cancer centers and treatment options. People she knew encouraged her to go…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Debora’s Patient Story
Debora, 65, lives in the United Kingdom and was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in 2017 after noticing a dimple across her left breast. The diagnosis brought anger, fear, sadness, numbness, and vulnerability. Her initial treatment plan included…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Tasha’s Patient Story
Tasha’s breast cancer was detected through a mammography study that invited people aged 47-49 to explore whether screening should begin before age 50. The mammogram revealed Stage II breast cancer in July 2017. Doctors recommended breast-conserving surgery…
Read this story