Surgery: 1,095 Real Stories
1,095 stories match surgery. 777 of them mention chemotherapy.
Stage I Breast Cancer: Jess’s Patient Story
Jess was 54 when breast cancer was found after her sister encouraged her to get a mammogram because of her age. She had not noticed symptoms, so the Stage I diagnosis came as a shock. Fear, sadness, grief, loneliness, and worry hit quickly, and the experience…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer Patient Story
A woman was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer and had surgery, but the adrenal metastasis could not be removed and remained in place. She went through one standard treatment after another. At times, bowel obstruction led to several hospitalizations…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Kacey’s Survivor Story
Kacey was 39 when a scheduled mammogram found a small lump. She had not noticed other symptoms, and the result came suddenly: Stage I breast cancer. The diagnosis made her feel frightened, worried, powerless, vulnerable, and disillusioned. She responded by…
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 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 storyBreast Cancer Patient Story
This woman had been living with breast cancer for 7.5 years after her first diagnosis. During that time, the cancer recurred or metastasized twice. Early on, she approached surgery and treatment with a practical mindset, telling herself that the diagnosis had…
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 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 I Breast Cancer Patient Story
A woman in her 40s had her first mammogram and learned she had Stage I breast cancer. Because of the diagnosis, she underwent a total mastectomy. After surgery, she continued with hormone therapy. The physical treatment was only part of the experience. Losing…
Read this storyStage I Lung Cancer Survivor Story
In January 2007, this woman received a notice after a health screening that she needed more detailed testing. The first hospital raised concern for lung cancer and recommended removal of the left upper lobe. She felt stunned and sought a second opinion…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer Patient Story
A woman was 38 in June 2007 when her partner felt a large lump in her breast and encouraged her to make a hospital appointment. A mammogram did not show a problem, and the first doctor sounded reassuring, but ultrasound clearly showed the mass. Further…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Alba’s Patient Story
Alba, 58, first went to the doctor because of unexplained weight loss. During breast cancer screening, doctors found a painless lump in her right breast, and a biopsy confirmed Stage II breast cancer. She also described physical fatigue during the process…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Amy’s Survivor Story
Amy, 38, was scheduled for a mammogram because of her age when doctors found a tumor in her left breast. She was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer and was told her 5-year survival rate was 90%. The news surprised and confused her, and she felt nervous…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Belsy’s Survivor Story
Belsy, 47, was diagnosed with breast cancer more than 3 years after she noticed what felt like a small ball while bathing. She was told the tumor was among the most severe and aggressive forms possible, and the diagnosis made her feel isolated, lonely…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: CL’s Survivor Story
CL, 58, is from Singapore and was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer after noticing suspicious symptoms during a self-examination. She consulted a doctor, then sought a second opinion because she wanted advice from a more experienced doctor. Based on her…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Clara’s Survivor Story
Clara, 48, noticed a small lump on her nipple along with flaky skin on her breast. Those changes led her to seek medical evaluation, and she was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. The news was frightening and confusing, especially because the diagnosis…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Claritza’s Patient Story
Claritza, 51, is from Colombia and has been living with Stage III breast cancer for more than 3 years. Her early symptoms included frequent fevers, constant headaches, and significant weight loss. After diagnosis, she was told her estimated 5-year survival…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Emilcen’s Patient Story
Emilcen, 58, is from Colombia and was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer after finding a lump in her left breast. She went through mammogram, biopsy, and histochemistry testing before receiving the diagnosis. The news brought fear and worry, and she…
Read this storyStage II HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Tanya’s Patient Story
Tanya was 47 when a routine mammogram in November 2020 led to a callback for a 3D mammogram. Small calcifications were seen, and biopsy first showed ductal carcinoma. While waiting to meet a surgeon, Tanya followed a friend’s advice and saw a high-risk cancer…
Read this storyStage IV HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Nikoo’s Patient Story
Nikoo’s first experience with invasive lobular carcinoma began in 2003, when her general practitioner felt hard tissue in her right breast even though she had recently had a clear mammogram. Ultrasound and biopsy found a 0.9 cm lobular breast cancer. She had…
Read this storyStage IV HR-Positive Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Jeri’s Patient Story
Jeri was a retired oncology registered nurse living near West Chester, Pennsylvania, when an annual mammogram found part of an abnormal-looking lymph node. She had just turned 60 and felt active and well. Biopsy of the lymph node showed invasive lobular…
Read this storyStage IV Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Lisa’s Patient Story
Lisa was living in Kentucky with her husband, 3 sons, and 7 grandchildren when she learned that her invasive lobular carcinoma had returned as metastatic disease. Her first signs had appeared in 2017: an inverted nipple, followed about 6 weeks later by…
Read this storyInvasive Lobular Carcinoma: Shay’s Survivor Story
Shay was a few months into age 40 when her focus shifted from planning the next decade to learning how to survive breast cancer. In late September 2019, she felt that something was wrong in her body and went to see her doctor. The diagnosis was lobular breast…
Read this storyStage II Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Kristel’s Survivor Story
Kristel was 38, married with 3 children, and working as a communications director in Wisconsin when she found a breast lump just before Christmas 2018. At her yearly check-up in January, she was sent for a mammogram and ultrasound, but both were read as…
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