Surgery: 1,095 Real Stories
1,095 stories match surgery. 777 of them mention chemotherapy.
Gastric Cancer: Christopher’s Survivor Story
Christopher Lynch was 51 when a headache, vomiting, difficulty eating, and balance problems led him to seek care in early 2016. An endoscopic procedure found stomach cancer, and an MRI then showed a large, deep tumor in his left cerebellum. The brain tumor…
Read this storyStage IV Ovarian Cancer: Manisha’s Survivor Story
Manisha Koirala was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer in 2012 after persistent sickness and abdominal bloating. The cancer had spread beyond the ovaries. After a second opinion confirmed the diagnosis, Manisha traveled from Nepal to New York for…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Erika’s Patient Story
Erika developed painful, sore breasts with small bumps and was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. The diagnosis was frightening and left her nervous, worried, and overwhelmed. Her initial recommendation included mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Graciela’s Patient Story
Graciela’s cancer journey began more than three years before her story, after pain and inflammation led her to seek medical care. She also had a family history of cancer affecting uncles and cousins. She was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer and responded…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Manisha’s Patient Story
Manisha’s initial doctors recommended lumpectomy and mastectomy, but she felt the first approach was not effective and wanted to hear more options. She sought a second opinion and changed hospitals. At the new hospital, she chose lumpectomy, immunotherapy…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Martha’s Patient Story
Martha learned that she had breast cancer after attending a breast ultrasound. Her doctors recommended mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, and she chose to proceed with all three treatments. Treatment brought hair loss, loss of appetite, and…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Mery’s Patient Story
Mery, from Colombia, learned she had breast cancer during a medical checkup and examination. The diagnosis left her grieving, confused, isolated, and powerless, and she sought a second opinion before deciding on treatment. Her care included mastectomy…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Mia’s Patient Story
Mia sought medical attention after developing breast pain and severe fatigue and was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. The news brought anger, fear, sadness, surprise, and a sense of vulnerability. She did not seek a second opinion. Her treatment included…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Mina’s Survivor Story
Mina had no symptoms when a mammogram found a tumor during health checks arranged in her final month of job-based insurance. She was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer and felt frightened, helpless, and worried. The original treatment plan included…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Doranci’s Survivor Story
Doranci sought medical attention after finding a painful breast lump that continued to grow and noticing changes in the size and shape of her breast. Her treatment included a mastectomy, lymphadenectomy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Aishah’s Survivor Story
Aishah was 51 when she accepted a free mammogram offered through her workplace. The test unexpectedly found a breast lump, and her GP referred her to hospital. She was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer and also experienced irritation of the breast skin…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Barsha’s Survivor Story
Barsha was 69 when she felt a suspicious lump in her left breast during an oil massage. She sensed that something was wrong and sought medical assessment. After being diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer, she obtained a second opinion from a more experienced…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Camila’s Survivor Story
Camila was 43 when she felt a breast lump while breastfeeding. Her gynecologist initially thought it might be caused by clogged milk ducts, but further testing showed stage 2 breast cancer. The diagnosis left her nervous, worried and powerless, especially as…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Cheryl’s Survivor Story
Cheryl was 66 and had no symptoms when a mammogram unexpectedly found an abnormality. Further assessment at a breast clinic confirmed stage 1 breast cancer. The news left her withdrawn, disappointed and confused, even though the cancer had been found early…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Lily’s Patient Story
Lily discovered a suspicious breast lump during a self-examination and sought medical evaluation. She was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. The news made it difficult for her to focus, and she responded by changing her diet and exercising more. Her…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Linda’s Patient Story
Linda’s breast cancer was found after a routine health check led her doctor to recommend an appointment with a breast specialist. A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. She had not noticed any symptoms, and the result surprised her because she considered herself…
Read this storyStage III Lung Cancer Survivor Story
An anonymized 72-year-old man was 5 years beyond surgery for Stage III lung cancer. The operation left him with one lung, yet he was described as breathing normally and remaining able to walk. His lung cancer was in remission. The raw text did not identify…
Read this storyStage II KRAS Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Camila’s Patient Story
At 24, Camila Bermúdez García was preparing to apply to medical school when she coughed up about a spoonful of blood while volunteering at a COVID-19 vaccine clinic. An X-ray showed a lung abnormality, but she was repeatedly treated for pneumonia. Over nearly…
Read this storyEGFR Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patient Story
In February 2021, an emergency evaluation for a possible abdominal problem unexpectedly found a mass in the upper lobe of the right lung. Further testing led to a diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer adenocarcinoma. Tumor testing identified an EGFR exon 19…
Read this storyStage IV ALK Lung Cancer: Frank’s Survivor Story
Frank Sierawski was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in his 30s, when his three children were six, four, and two. The diagnosis affected the entire family. His children were young enough to remember little of the treatment, while his wife Kathryn carried…
Read this storyStage IV Lung Cancer: Michael’s Patient Story
Michael O’Donnell is a Vietnam War veteran who receives his lung-cancer testing and treatment through the Dallas VA, with access to a lung-cancer specialist from UT Southwestern when needed. His cancer was Stage IV at diagnosis. He had smoked until two weeks…
Read this storyStage IV EGFR Lung Cancer: Marnie’s Patient Story
Marnie Clark first noticed that one leg felt unusual. The problem became impossible to dismiss when the leg became paralyzed. Early tests focused on the leg and found nothing, so Marnie and her husband paid for additional examinations rather than continue…
Read this storyLung Cancer: Katie’s Survivor Story
Katie was 12 weeks pregnant with her second child when she was diagnosed with neuroendocrine lung cancer in 2023. Running was one of her favorite activities, and she asked what the diagnosis would mean for that part of her life. She was told that she would…
Read this storyStage I Lung Adenocarcinoma: Julie’s Survivor Story
Julie Jones was 55 when she was diagnosed with Stage I lung adenocarcinoma. Because the cancer was found at an early stage, she underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung. She had completed another half marathon about…
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