Patient Stories
ADCC members have long championed the greatest possible access to our hospitals. Our survival rates are higher than at other hospitals, and we believe all patients should have access to the best care available. Here are a few of their stories.
Amy, Hodgkin Lymphoma
Treated at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer CenterAmy was a teenager when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. Since that time, she has relapsed twice. After the cancer returned the second time, she underwent a stem cell transplant, a procedure that appears to have cured her. Amy had two goals, to graduate from college and become a mother. She achieved them both. For many young adults, preserving fertility during cancer treatment is a major issue. Amy’s doctors understood how important that was to her and, despite three rounds of aggressive treatment, worked with her to help her reach her dream of having a baby. Her daughter, Anna, is healthy, and so is Amy.
“This is what I wanted my life to be. Every day is a gift.”
Edward, Kidney Cancer
Treated at Fox Chase Cancer CenterEdward’s cancer journey began with a puzzling numbness in his thigh. Tests revealed a malignant tumor in his kidney. After researching treatment options, he decided to go to Fox Chase Cancer Center. There, Robert Uzzo, MD, was able to perform robotic surgery that preserved half of Edward’s kidney—giving him the best possible outcome, continued function, and quality of life.
“The compassionate, professional care I received from the entire treatment team at Fox Chase went beyond any expectations I had.”
Tiffany, Lung Cancer
Treated at Moffitt Cancer CenterIt started with a pain in her back. Tiffany thought it was a pinched nerve, but an MRI showed a rare form of lung cancer. She is a wife and mother of two young children, and her major concern was being there for her family. She was treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Today, she is there for her son, daughter, and husband.
“I would tell anyone at Moffitt, you aren’t just saving my life, you are saving the live, giving the life to all those people around them.”
Judy, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Treated at The Ohio State University Cancer CenterJudy had already failed two rounds of chemotherapy and learned that her chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) had genetic mutations that made it resistant to treatment when she got to The James Cancer Hospital at Ohio State University. There she decided to enter a clinical trial of a new targeted therapy for people who had not responded to other treatments for CLL. A nurse for more than 50 years, Judy was impressed with the level of compassion and care she received. Judy had an excellent response to the trial, has her energy back, and has been able to resume her normal life. Her doctors tell her that if she relapses, there are two more promising drugs “coming down the pike” to treat Judy’s leukemia.
“My diagnosis was now ultra high-risk CLL. My local oncologist said I would be dead by the summer of 2014 if we couldn’t find something that worked.”
Guy, Pancreatic Cancer
Treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterGuy was 50, a successful bond manager, husband, and father of three—in good health—when he developed symptoms that proved to be pancreatic cancer. After his case was mishandled at another hospital, he transferred to Memorial Sloan Kettering. There, doctors used precise imaging to determine that his large tumor had not spread. They were able to shrink the cancer with chemotherapy, making him a candidate for potentially curative surgery. They followed that with chemotherapy. Four years later, Guy is one of a small percentage of people with his condition to survive.
“I don’t think I would have lived if I had stayed at the other hospital. I am extremely fortunate to have found a place and the doctors who had the knowledge and tools at hand and were brave enough to treat me the way they did.”
