Radiation: 614 Real Stories
614 stories match radiation. 511 of them mention surgery.
Breast Cancer: Greta’s Survivor Story
Greta Tietze-Stein was 52 when she described breast cancer diagnosed in 2006. A breast inflammation led her to notice a palpable change and see her gynecologist. Ultrasound showed an unclear finding, followed by mammography and biopsy. Because the diagnosis…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Gerda’s Patient Story
Gerda Martin was 73 when she reflected on breast cancer diagnosed in 2008. She first noticed a change during a sauna visit: her nipple was pulling inward. She went to her gynecologist, and further testing led to the diagnosis. Surgery removed her right…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Manuela’s Patient Story
Manuela Weber was 63 when she described living with metastatic breast cancer. Her first breast cancer was diagnosed in 2000 after a lump led to mammography and biopsy. Cancer was found in both breasts, but no lymph node involvement was described. Both breasts…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Uwe’s Patient Story
Uwe Dierks was 63 when he shared the long-term effects of rectal cancer diagnosed in 2011. For about 1 year before diagnosis, he had worsening bowel problems, nighttime toilet trips, bleeding, and weight loss. Colonoscopy found a tumor, and his doctor was…
Read this storyBRCA1 Breast Cancer: Alina’s Survivor Story
Alina Schiller was 30 when she shared life after early-stage breast cancer. She found a lump while changing clothes and went to a gynecologist, who referred her to a breast center. Biopsy confirmed breast cancer in 2018, and BRCA1 testing found a mutation at…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Jan’s Survivor Story
Jan Holgersson was 59 when he reflected on colorectal cancer diagnosed at age 55. He had lived with persistent diarrhea for more than 6 months but did not take it seriously until the symptoms worsened. Hospital testing found cancer, and he initially feared…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Dagmar’s Patient Story
Dagmar Schiffer was 51 when she found a lump in her breast in 2011. Because her mother had also had breast cancer, she quickly saw her gynecologist. Breast cancer was diagnosed, and Dagmar had breast-conserving surgery with removal of affected lymph nodes…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Tim’s Patient Story
Tim Meier was 31 when he described living with rectal cancer that had repeatedly spread to the liver. In late 2020, depression, constant fatigue, fever episodes, and side pain led to medical testing. Ultrasound showed suspicious findings in the liver, and…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Ute’s Survivor Story
Ute Schuhmacher was 63 when she looked back on 17 years with breast cancer and recurrence. Her first diagnosis came in 1996, when her children were still young. Fear for them was one of her greatest worries. Several operations were needed from the beginning…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Taletha’s Survivor Story
Taletha Walls shared this story as the wife and caregiver of her husband, who was diagnosed with rectal cancer at age 67 after a colonoscopy. The finding came during the holiday season, and Taletha carried the news quietly from December 13, 2018, until…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Judy’s Survivor Story
Judy Perdue is a mother of 3 with a high-stress healthcare career. When she noticed a little blood, loose stools, and some pain, it was easy to think the problem might be hemorrhoids. A colonoscopy changed everything by finding rectal cancer when Judy was 44…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Matthias’s Survivor Story
Matthias Mitternich was 65 and 7 years past colon cancer treatment when he reflected on his experience. His first clue was a reddish change in his stool, which he initially blamed on eating beetroot. When the change continued despite diet adjustments, he saw…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Amalia’s Survivor Story
Amalia Spatz was 71 when rectal cancer entered a life already shaped by widowhood, family, and work behind her. She first noticed growing weakness and exhaustion and thought a medication might be the cause. After she was taken to hospital, many tests were…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Leon’s Patient Story
Leon Gerspacher was 20 when fatigue and digestive problems led to colonoscopy and CT scans that found rectal cancer. He was a science student and living with his girlfriend, and the diagnosis quickly changed his plans. Initial treatment used radiation therapy…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Ingrid’s Survivor Story
Ingrid Weis was 52, married, and raising 3 children when rectal cancer was found. Her first sign was blood in the toilet, which she initially thought might be hemorrhoids. Colonoscopy instead showed a tumor in the rectum. After further testing, treatment…
Read this storyColorectal Cancer: Annemarie’s Survivor Story
Annemarie Merscher was already used to close medical monitoring before colorectal cancer was found. Because of polyps, she had colonoscopies and rectoscopies every 6 months from 2006 to 2014. She also lived with a donor liver and immunosuppressive medication…
Read this storyStage IV Colorectal Cancer: Jutta’s Patient Story
Jutta Groß was 47, a single mother of 2, and already familiar with hereditary colorectal cancer risk. At 19, because of familial adenomatous polyposis and many colon polyps, her colon was removed and the small intestine was connected to the sphincter. She…
Read this storyBreast Cancer Patient Story
A woman in her 20s found a lump in her breast in June and quickly went for screening. The diagnosis was right breast cancer. She had breast-conserving surgery, but because the lump was fairly large, very little of the breast remained. Seeing the large scar…
Read this storyStage I HR-Positive Breast Cancer Patient Story
On April 17, 2008, a woman’s husband noticed a lump in her right breast. She went to a clinic with mammography, where the lump could also be felt on examination. Cytology soon showed a strong suspicion of malignancy, and she was referred to a hospital…
Read this storyBreast Cancer Patient Story
Shortly after registering her marriage, this woman was diagnosed with breast cancer. She and her husband had been visiting travel salons while planning a small overseas wedding and honeymoon, so the diagnosis arrived at what should have been one of the…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Irmina’s Survivor Story
Irmina, 64, is from Colombia and was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer after a routine health examination found the disease unexpectedly. She had no symptoms and no family history of cancer, so the diagnosis came as a shock. At first, she felt fearful…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Kelly’s Survivor Story
Kelly was 75 when Stage I breast cancer was found after she moved to a new area and registered with a new local GP. As part of that check-up process, she was recommended for a mammogram, which led to the diagnosis. She had also experienced pain, but the…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Kim’s Survivor Story
Kim A. was 49 when she shared her Stage III breast cancer experience. More than 3 years earlier, a sharp, shooting pain in her right breast led her to notice a lump. Mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsies confirmed Stage III breast cancer with lymph node…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer Patient Story
A woman who had always been active, healthy, and busy with work and family noticed a lump in the lower inner part of her left breast. For a long time, she tried to convince herself it was a benign breast condition. A doctor's exam changed everything. Testing…
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