119: Four times Kay Kays survived pancreatic cancer | whipple procedure | pacreatectomy | gemcitabine
Release Date: 06/01/2024
147: Helinka Carr survived bowel cancer | ileostomy bag | pelvic radiation disease | colonoscopy
Cancer Interviews
When Helinka Carr experienced limited rectal bleeding, because it was limited, she never thought her problem could rise to the level of cancer. She also thought the bleeding might be diverticulitis, which had been suffered by members of her family. However, at the urging of her doctor, she underwent blood tests and a colonoscopy. The latter revealed that she had bowel cancer. Thanks to two surgical procedures, she achieved survivorship but has to wear an ileostomy bag. She tires easily, but had the energy to start a line of ostomy lingerie for bag-wearing women...
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146: Guy Nakoa survived Stage IV breast cancer | mastectomy | ibrance | letrozole | radiation treatment
Cancer Interviews
Guy Nakoa has survived two diagnoses of Stage IV breast cancer. He initially felt a lump in his breast while showering in 2000. Because it wasn’t causing him and because he didn’t think could not get a type of cancer associated with women, I went more than a decade before he chose to have the lump checked out. In 2014, he sought medical attention, he was diagnosed and in 2016, he had the lump removed; but in 2020, the cancer returned. He was hoping it could be removed with chemotherapy and radiation treatment, but over his initial objection, he...
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145: Sheila Romanski twice survived breast cancer | autologous stem cell transplant | lumpectomy | diep flap
Cancer Interviews
Sheila Romanski is with us today after overcoming two diagnoses of breast cancer and the removal of a tumor in her left shoulder thanks to an autologous stem cell transplant. She tells the @CancerInterviews podcast her initial of Stage 1A breast cancer in 1996 came after her doctor suggested a routine mammogram at age 36 when at the time mammograms were not performed on women that young. Radiation treatment successfully addressed that diagnosis, but the following year, the cancer had metastasized to her shoulder. That brought on the stem cell transplant, plus chemotherapy and...
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144: Daniel Garza, Anal Cancer Survivor – Laguna Beach, California, USA
Cancer Interviews
In 2015, Daniel Garza experienced bloating and difficulty completing a bowel movement. A subsequent digital rectal exam revealed a mass on his sphincter, which led to a diagnosis of anal cancer. A surgical procedure got rid of the cancer, but it also resulted in his losing half of his sphincter and the temporary presence of a fistula, a tear which was like a second anus. He underwent a chemotherapy regimen of 5-fluorouracil, followed by radiation treatment, but another major challenge awaited Daniel, as he had to wear an ostomy bag, which he does to this day. He deals...
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143: Rick Upchurch survived chronic myelogenous leukemia | oral chemotherapy | blood cancer | tasigna | nilotinib
Cancer Interviews
Former NFL star Rick Upchurch seemed to be in good health, but in 2010, he began to experience night sweats, fatigue and aches and pains. He saw his doctor, who ordered blood work. The test results revealed his white blood cell count was very high, and his general practitioner gave him the address of another doctor to see. Rick and his wife were shocked to learn the doctor they had been told to see was an oncologist. That doctor called for a bone marrow biopsy, which confirmed Rick had chronic myelogenous leukemia, a rare form of blood cancer that is tied to a genetic...
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142: Jeff Kallis survived renal cell carcinoma | kidney cancer | right kidney nephrectomy | diverticulosis | ct urogram
Cancer Interviews
Jeff Kallis survived renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer. When he experienced pain in his lower flank and saw blood in his urine, he sought medical attention. A CT urogram revealed a stone in his left kidney and a mass in his right kidney. A biopsy confirmed he had clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Jeff underwent a radical nephrectomy on his right kidney. The operation was painful, but a success. Through exercise and a healthy diet, Jeff says he feels better than he did before his diagnosis. He shares his story with the @CancerInterviews...
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141: John Morley survived T2 Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer | cystectomy | prostatectomy | splenectomy
Cancer Interviews
What John Morley originally thought was a urinary tract infection turned out to be a diagnosis of bladder cancer. At first, he was told it was a mild form of the disease. Then the diagnosis was upgraded to T2 Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer, requiring a radical cystectomy meaning he would need to get his bladder removed. His care team next told John he would also have to get his prostate taken out. Next a mass was detected on his spleen, which meant that it, too, would have to be removed. Treatment and recovery were tough, but he now urinates into a bag known as an...
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140: Jessica Wharton survived breast cancer | chemotherapy | taxol | super radiation | red devil | ptsd
Cancer Interviews
When Jessica Whorton discovered lumps on her left breast in 2011, she sought medical attention. The doctors she spoke with said breast cancer was not indicated. She walked around with the lumps for another nine months before seeking a second opinion. Tests revealed she had Stage 3A invasive ductal carcinoma. Doctors urged that she get a double mastectomy even though her right breast was still healthy. After chemotherapy and radiation, Jessica achieved survivorship in 2013. Jessica thought there was something wrong when she detected three lumps...
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139: Susan Svoboda survived hormone positive breast cancer | estrogen inhibitor | invasive ductal carcinoma | lumpectomy
Cancer Interviews
Susan Svoboda was accustomed to going in for her mammogram every November. She enjoyed a healthy lifestyle, which included running 65 half marathons. But in late 2021, after her mammogram, she was called to return to the doctor’s office. After scans and a biopsy, she was diagnosed with Stage 1-2 invasive ductal carcinoma. Given her healthy routine, Susan was shocked, but she quickly had to turn her attention to her treatment. In 2022, she underwent a successful lumpectomy. Because of the location of the lump, and her low Oncotype DX score, the oncologist...
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138: Albertina Dancy survived liver cancer | fatty liver disease | radiation treatment | chemotherapy
Cancer Interviews
In 2021, Albertina Dancy began to experience abdominal pain, but that wasn’t all. She also had gastrointestinal issues, jaundice and other problems. However, she didn’t take them seriously and thought they could be successfully addressed with over-the-counter remedies. When that didn’t happen, she sought medical attention. Albertina’s doctor said the symptoms, combined with her existing fatty liver disease, merited a trip to an oncologist. A series of scans and tests, plus the stiffness of her liver, led to a diagnosis of liver cancer. The...
info_outlineKay Kays of Sun City, Arizona survived four diagnoses of pancreatic cancer between 1994 and 2008. Her specific diagnosis was pancreatic cyst mucinous adenocarcinoma, a rare form of pancreatic cancer. There was no chemotherapy specifically for pancreatic cancer, but did qualify for a Whipple procedure, a reconstruction of the digestive system, following her first diagnosis. Her final diagnosis was preceded by a spot on her right lung and the surgical removal of the lung. Incredibly, Kay can still engage in hiking, she can deal with being the high altitudes that come with being an air passenger, and she finds time to help others diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
In 1994, Kay, an avid hiker and tennis player, suddenly found herself feeling extremely tired. She ended up in a hospital’s emergency department. That’s where a mass on her pancreas was detected, and she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Kay went in for a Whipple procedure. It involved an incision made across her chest and stomach. After the procedure, Kay said she had to carry about a dishpan for about two weeks because she could not keep any food down, but a few weeks after that, her digestive system returned to normal. Her life came close to returning to normal, as well.
That changed in 1999. A CT scan was run and revealed the cancer had returned to her pancreas. This time Kay underwent a pancreatectomy, in which her pancreas and spleen were removed. Because of the operation, she became a brittle diabetic. In the beginning, she had to get five shots a day. Kay had to change her diet, cutting out greasy foods and sugar. She also had to take digestive enzymes.
Only three months later, Kay Kays was again diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Another CT scan revealed a lymph node. It took approximately a year before she could undergo surgery to remove the lymph node. During that time she was put on a chemotherapy regimen with a cocktail of zofran and gemcitibine. Kay said the side effects of the gemcitibine were hair loss and fatigue.
Kay got past this surgery and the chemotherapy, and when she thought the worst of her cancer journey was in the past, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer one more time in 2008. Pancreatic cancer often spreads to the lung, liver and lymph nodes, and this diagnosis was tied to a spot on her lung. Kay had to fight to undergo a biopsy, but eventually had one done and it confirmed that she once again had pancreatic cancer. She elected to have her right lung surgically removed.
The good news for Kay Kays is that since 2008, cancer has not returned. By way of advice, Kay urges those diagnosed with cancer to never lose hope.
Additional Resources:
Support Group:
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network: https://www.pancan.org