122: Christine Handy survived HER2+ breast cancer | mastectomy | herceptin | taxol | lumpectomy | MRSA
Release Date: 06/22/2024
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...
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137: Karen Humphries twice survived cholangiocarcinoma | bile duct cancer | liver resection | xeloda | chemotherapy
Cancer Interviews
After a long list of health issues, Karen Humphries was diagnosed with a rare type of bile duct cancer called cholangiocarcinoma. She was initially diagnosed in 2021 with Stage 2B gallbladder cancer, had her gallbladder removed, after which the diagnosis was changed to Stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma. Karen underwent a two-part liver resection and a chemotherapy regimen and went into remission. Two years later, she was again diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma. Her treatment included biliary stents. Karen knows her cancer is incurable but has survived and leads a happy...
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136: Erin Cummings survived Stage 3B Hodgkin lymphoma | full body radiation | MOP chemotherapy | laetrile
Cancer Interviews
Erin Cummings is still going strong despite being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 1972. At age 15, she noticed a lump on her throat and another on her chest. That led to a diagnosis of Stage 3B Hodgkin lymphoma. She was shocked at her diagnosis but initially had trouble putting into perspective just what she was up against because she cancer was something suffered by old people. Even though she achieved survivorship, she still deals with residual side effects from her treatment regimen. Nonetheless, Erin has gone on to compete in eight marathons and has...
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135: Genetic testing helped Art Still to survive amyloidosis | stenosis | atrial fibrillation
Cancer Interviews
Art Still’s body felt the ravages of playing professional football for twelve years, but when he suffered atrial fibrillation, he sought medical attention. His doctor suggested he undergo a genetic test, which revealed he had the variant for a disease known as amyloidosis. While not cancer, if left untreated in a timely manner, it can lead to various types of blood cancer. Early detection, periodic shots and medication will not get rid of the variant, but they will team up to keep from developing into blood cancer. Art pays attention to diet, exercise and the right...
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134: Diana Ash survived Stage 1C Ovarian Cancer | oophorectomy | BEP chemotherapy | Lupron injection
Cancer Interviews
Diana Ash had suffered from irritable bowel syndrome much of her life, but in 2019, she believed the IBS symptoms she felt were something altogether different. Her concerns were proven correct when an ultrasound indicated a mass near her abdomen the size of a “mini football.” Not long after that, she was diagnosed with Stage 1C Ovarian Cancer. Diana underwent an oophorectomy, a surgical procedure that successfully removed one ovary and one fallopian tube. After the surgery, she had to undergo BEP chemotherapy, an extremely aggressive regimen. However, she...
info_outlineChristine Handy withstood osteomyelitis in her right arm, a lumpectomy, two mastectomies and a MRSA infection en route to surviving HER2+ breast cancer. It wasn’t easy, but her road to survivorship included a 28-round chemotherapy regimen with herceptin and taxol. She has gone on to resume her career as a runway model, author, film producer and motivational speaker.
In addition to being a runway model and the other of small children, Christine Handy of Miami, Florida enjoyed an active lifestyle that included tennis and surfing. However, at age 42, while showering she discovered a lump on her chest. At the same time, she noticed her hair thinning and a loss of appetite. This led to her diagnosis of breast cancer.
Her diagnosis of HER2+ breast cancer necessitated the usage of the drug herceptin, which added 12 rounds of chemotherapy. Combined with taxol, Christine went through 28 rounds of chemo covering a grueling 15 months.
Christine Handy’s cancer journey involved problems other than cancer. She was also dealing with osteomyelitis, a bone infection in her right arm, which required a picc line into the arm for about six weeks. At the time Christine was diagnosed with cancer, her right arm had just been reconstructed from cadaver bones and bone grafts. Doctors agreed that Christine started breast cancer-related chemotherapy right away, it would dissolve the bone grafts in her reconstructed arm. Her oncologist said it would be better to perform a lumpectomy, without chemo, which would not adversely affect the procedure done on her arm.
It was about a month when chemotherapy began, which would require one mastectomy in 2013, and a second one at a later time. The chemo left Christine very frail and thin, weighing about 90 pounds. She was very ill and that resulted in the second mastectomy not taking place until 2016.
The second mastectomy had its challenges. The second procedure involved implants needed several revisions, six in all, which were both painful and frustrating.
There was more pain and frustration for Christine Handy when she learned she had a MRSA infection on her implant. This infection, originally diagnosed as a staph infection, had her in and out of the hospital for an additional three months.
Even after her chemotherapy treatment ended, there were other problems. She lost a few teeth, had a liver spot and had to see a heart doctor, which she does to this day. Christine said it wasn’t until four years her chemo concluded that she started feeling like herself again.
Christine is back to modeling and helping women. She urges anyone on a cancer journey should not try to do so alone.
Additional Resources:
Christine’s Book: Walk Beside Me, available on Amazon
Christine’s Film: Hello, Beautiful https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9018874/
Christine’s Website: https://www.christinehandy.com