Anal cancer survivor: ¡®Cancer doesn¡¯t have to define you¡¯
Some people get married. Some have children. Some get divorced. Some get cancer. Nelda Blair believes that while these are all life-changing moments, none of them should become a person¡¯s entire identity. She¡¯s felt this way ever since she found out she had HPV-related anal cancer in February 2011.
¡°I¡¯m a take-charge person, and this diagnosis was not going to rule my life or alter my life for any period of time,¡± she says. ¡°My...
Using my voice during breast cancer treatment
Before I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, I¡¯d never had a mammogram. I was only 38 at the time, so I hadn¡¯t started getting that...
Q&A: Anaplastic thyroid cancer
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with anaplastic thyroid cancer, it may be hard to find others who¡¯ve received the same diagnosis....
Celebrating life after a cord blood transplant
April 4 is just another day to most people. But to Erika Evans, it¡¯s an important one. This year, it marked the fifth anniversary of the day she had a double umbilical cord blood transplant at MD Anderson for her acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment. And for Erika, the fact that she¡¯s still around for the milestone at all was cause for celebration.
¡°When I was diagnosed, I was given very little hope of survival,¡± Erika says....
Anal cancer survivor gets glimpse of life as a witness
Recently, I had an experience I feel compelled to share. First, so that my soul will settle about it. And second, so that I can show the people...
Cancer treatment side effect: Malnutrition
Getting enough calories and protein helps patients stay strong and fight cancer as well as other infections.
But studies show that...
Doctor gives colorectal cancer survivor strength for treatment
Even though Robin Odle knew she needed a colonoscopy when she turned 50, she put it off.
¡°I¡¯d been traumatized by a prior GI test,...
Ovarian cancer survivor: Why I travel for a clinical trial
Ovarian cancer symptoms can be rather vague ¨C bloating, a feeling of fullness and/or constipation. But Diane Sarver didn¡¯t have any of these...
Through bladder cancer treatment, a daughter stands with her dad
When Maja Latham¡¯s father was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer, she got aggressive, too.
As the ¡°researcher¡± in...
Why a melanoma survivor chose an immunotherapy clinical trial
In the middle of 2014, Daron Gribble received some unexpected news: a persistent sore spot under his right cheekbone had tested positive for...
Multiple myeloma survivor finds hope, empowerment in clinical trials
Gary Rudman began experiencing severe lower back and leg pain in early 2013, just a few years after he retired from the U.S. Air Force. His...
Ovarian cancer symptoms: 4 things to know
Bloating. A feeling of fullness. Constipation. All of these can be symptoms of ovarian cancer. They can also be the result of a bad meal.<...
Five-time salivary gland cancer survivor faces life with a smile
Kelly Mireles¡¯ smile is the facial feature most people notice when first meeting her. That alone is a minor miracle.
Kelly had most...
From tonsil cancer survivor to HPV vaccine advocate
I wish the HPV vaccine had been available when I was younger.
If it had been, I might not have developed the tonsil cancer that stole...
Insight on metastatic breast cancer treatment
When breast cancer spreads beyond the breast and the lymph nodes, it¡¯s known as metastatic breast cancer. Most commonly, breast cancer spreads...
Liver cancer treatment gives survivor chance to meet grandson
Sally Hargroves has always been active and full of energy, so when the Floridian became increasingly tired in 2010, she suspected something...
Stem cell transplant gives lymphoma survivor more time with kids
Kate Arnold isn¡¯t entirely sure when her journey with non-Hodgkin lymphoma started.
¡°I probably was walking around with cancer for...
Tonsil cancer survivor fights HPV stigma
At age 62, Tom Jackson was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The diagnosis is common among men his age, so he took it in stride.
But...
New hope for leptomeningeal disease care
When cancer spreads to the central nervous system, it usually goes to the brain tissue. In a small but growing number of cases, though, it...