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Two Years of ‘It’s Just Anxiety’ Before an X-ray Found Stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma
Rhea G., Hodgkin Lymphoma, Stage 4 Symptoms: Debilitating leg pain, severe chest pain, heart palpitations, amenorrhea, intense night sweats Treatments: Pericardiocentesis, chemotherapy (AVD), immunotherapy, hormone therapy (goserelin)
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Jessica’s BRCA2 Genetic Mutation Led Her to Catch Her HR+ Breast Cancer Early
Jessica L., Breast Cancer, HR+, BRCA2+ Symptoms: None; discovered during a screening mammogram Treatments: Surgeries (full mastectomy, breast reconstruction, breast revision surgery, salpingectomy, single oophorectomy)
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Hannah’s Rare DSRCT Cancer Diagnosis at 23, After Extreme Fatigue, Weight Loss, and Back Pain
Hannah J., Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor (DSRCT) Symptoms: Weight loss, fatigue, back pain Treatments: Chemotherapy, surgeries (abdominal surgery with radioactive isotope treatment (through a clinical trial), kyphoplasty, spinal reconstruction surgery, spinal fusion surgery, resection of tumor in psoas muscle), targeted radiation therapy (proton therapy)
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How a Car Accident Uncovered Carly’s Stage 3B Rectal Cancer
Carly B., Rectal Cancer, Stage 3B Symptoms: Bloating and discomfort, hypercalcemia (high calcium levels in the blood), significant and inexplainable weight loss, sallow skin, severe constipation Treatments: Chemotherapy (FOLFOX), radiation therapy, surgeries (tumor resection, temporary ileostomy)
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Raqueal’s Exhaustion Was Essential Thrombocythemia (ET), a Blood Cancer
Raqueal P., Essential Thrombocythemia, JAK2+ Symptoms: Extreme fatigue, abnormally high platelet count Treatment: Watch and wait
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Dan’s Testicular Cancer Was Found by an Ultrasound, Not a Symptom
Dan K., Testicular Cancer Symptoms: None per se; discovered during routine ultrasound to monitor a varicocele Treatment: Surgery (orchiectomy)
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Six Months of Explaining Away a Cough That Turned Out to Be Stage 4 ALK-Positive Lung Cancer
Nay T., Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Stage 4B (Metastatic), ALK+ Symptoms: Persistent cough, loss of voice that never returned, loss of 30 lbs in six weeks without dieting, chest pain and difficulty breathing at night, waking up in the middle of the night with deep chest pain and feeling like drowning, coughing up blood…
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Cheryl Had Her Ovaries Removed to Prevent Cancer, But She Was Diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer Anyway
Cheryl S., Ovarian Cancer, Stage 3C Symptom: Abdominal pain (right side) Treatments: Surgery (cytoreductive surgery), chemotherapy, PARP inhibitor (olaparib), radiation therapy
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At 19, Every Nurse Told Taylor She Was Too Young for Rectal Cancer; She Wasn’t
Taylor M., Rectal Cancer, Stage 3C Symptoms: Irregular bowel movements, rectal bleeding Treatments: Clinical trial (radiation therapy and chemotherapy), chemotherapy, surgeries (ovarian transposition (oophoropexy), total proctocolectomy with ileostomy, hysterectomy)
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A Sharp Pain Before a Family Trip Led to Kathy’s Stage 4 ALK-Positive Lung Cancer Diagnosis
Kathy B., Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Stage 4 (Metastatic), ALK+ Symptoms: Jaw pain, back pain, pain in sacrum, unexplained cough, loss of voice Treatment: Targeted therapy (lorlatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor)
