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As a physician, I never expected to be diagnosed with cancer myself ¡ª much less four times before age 50. But by the time I got to MD Anderson in September 2019, I¡¯d already been treated for triple-negative breast cancer and chemotherapy-induced acute myeloid leukemia once. And I was on the cusp of relapsing with both.

I went to MD Anderson because the first stem cell transplant I got near my home in Wisconsin wasn¡¯t keeping the leukemia in remission. And MD Anderson is the nation¡¯s top cancer hospital. It also has one of the largest clinical trial programs in the country. So, I knew it would have more treatment options to offer me.

As it turns out, going to MD Anderson was absolutely the right call. Because it¡¯s been 21 months now since my stem cell transplant there, and I¡¯m still in remission ¡ª even after another round of breast cancer treatments that ended in March.

From a leukemia consultation to immediate admission

I didn¡¯t even realize my leukemia had relapsed until I got to MD Anderson. My last bone marrow biopsy in Wisconsin showed early signs of it, but nothing definite. So, when I arrived at MD Anderson a month later, I thought I was just coming in for a consultation, to discuss possible treatment options if the leukemia recurred.

Then, I received a printout of my lab results right before the first doctor¡¯s appointment. And a wave of nausea swept over me. Because as a rheumatologist, I understood immediately what the blood values meant: my disease was active again. And I don¡¯t care what you do for a living: finding out you have cancer is overwhelming ¡ª no matter how many times you hear it.

My husband and I waited tensely in the exam room for the leukemia specialist to arrive. Then, walked in. The first thing he did was announce that he had a plan. He told me that he¡¯d seen other patients like me, and he was ready to recommend a course of treatment that would hopefully lead to a cure. It wouldn¡¯t be easy. But he was confident it was at least possible.

What made the choice to stay in Houston for leukemia treatment easier

The fact that Dr. Montalban-Bravo already had a plan in mind for me was extremely welcome news. His confidence was very encouraging. But the news that I needed to start treatment right away was a bit less welcome. Because that meant staying in Houston.

I knew I was out of options locally. I needed another stem cell transplant, and it simply wouldn¡¯t be offered at any hospital near my home. So, if I went back to Wisconsin, I was going to die there. That made the decision a lot easier. My husband flew home to take care of our children, and my mom came to Texas to stay with me. I spent the next nine months in Houston.

Finding the right chemotherapy combination for a leukemia relapse

First, I had several rounds of chemotherapy under Dr. Montalban-Bravo. I ended up having to try several combinations in two separate clinical trials before we found one that worked. Then, I had another stem cell transplant under on Sept. 25, 2019, using cells donated by my teenage daughter.

I joined a third clinical trial to treat the graft vs. host disease (GVHD) I developed afterward. It involved a drug called itacitinib that was not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat that side effect. But it worked out wonderfully for me, and I was able to stop taking it after only a couple of months.

Breast cancer recurrence brings fears of history repeating itself

The second stem cell transplant worked out much better than the first, too, even though I had some pretty severe side effects, including weight loss and nausea.

The transplant I¡¯d had locally only kept me in remission for about three months. But I was still in remission 11 months after the second one. That¡¯s when I noticed a lump in one of my reconstructed breasts. It was on the same side where the cancer had appeared before.

I felt a little panicky. Even though only about 2% of breast cancer patients develop leukemia after receiving the same type of chemotherapy I did initially, it had already happened to me once. So, I worried that history might repeat itself.

From a double relapse to double remission

Dr. Oran and Dr. Montalban-Bravo quickly soothed my fears. They reassured me that my latest breast cancer diagnosis could be treated like any other. The odds were just as low as they¡¯d been the first time around that I¡¯d develop leukemia as a side effect. 

Their confidence that I could follow the recommended treatment plan for my breast cancer relapse was very reassuring. That feeling was reinforced by the second opinion I obtained from breast cancer specialist .

Dr. Arun agreed with the plan suggested by my local oncologists. So, even though I¡¯ve continued to have my follow-up appointments for leukemia regularly at MD Anderson (sometimes virtually), I was able to get my breast cancer treatments much closer to home. I really appreciated not having to travel as frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, I show no evidence of either disease. So, I can¡¯t overemphasize how grateful I am to MD Anderson. Its clinical trials and doctors saved my life. And because of their expertise ¡ª and their willingness to share it ¡ª I am back at work and enjoying my family.

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