129: Rebecca Esparza survived ovarian cancer and thyroid cancer | cisplatin | bleomycin| etopicide
Release Date: 10/22/2024
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_outlineRebecca Esparza is a survivor. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and thyroid cancer, and she is still with us, advocating for others diagnosed with cancer. In 2001, when she appeared bloated, she sought medical attention, thinking the problem was tied to fibroid tumors. However, she was diagnosed with Stage 2B mixed yolk sac ovarian cancer, a rare form of the disease. While she was undergoing surgery, doctors made the decision to perform a “life-saving” radical hysterectomy. The operation was a success, but she needed to go on a chemotherapy regimen involving cisplatin, bleomycin and etiopicide. Rebecca achieved survivorship, but in 2008, she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. Treated with radioactive iodine, she again survived. These days, Rebecca, in her hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas, is an energetic cancer patient advocate on an individual and legislative level.
Rebecca Esparza was leading an active lifestyle in 2001, one which included running and aerobics. However, she started to experience fatigue and back pain, feeling bloated all the time. She had had fibroid tumors in the past and thought they might be the problem, but her doctor ordered a transvaginal ultrasound. Surgery was performed. It removed the tumors, but also revealed a rare form of ovarian cancer.
Rebecca called this the darkest time of her life. Not only had she been diagnosed with cancer at age 30, but during the surgery, doctors felt in order to save her life, they would have to perform a radical hysterectomy. Furthermore, because of work situation, Rebecca did not have health insurance or $20,000 for a deposit on the cost of her treatment. She was eventually able to proceed with the next step of her treatment, chemotherapy, thanks to indigent care aid from her county.
That regimen included three drugs. They were cisplatin, bleomycin and etopicide. The four-month regimen was very toxic, very difficult, but Rebecca survived. She ate little and when she did eat, she could rarely keep anything down. As a result, she lost 40 pounds, leaving her with a weight of 80 pounds. The drugs damaged her nervous system and to this day, she has neuropathy, resulting in numbness and tingling in her arms, hands, feet and legs.
Unfortunately for Rebecca Esparza, her cancer journey was not over. In 2008, she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. A few months after her diagnosis, she underwent a left neck dissection in which they removed the entire thyroid and 15 lymph nodes. She was prepared to on a regimen of radioactive iodine, consumed in pill form; however, a body scan revealed that wouldn’t be necessary because the surgery removed all the cancer, and once again, Rebecca was in remission.
Today Rebecca endures the complications from her treatment for both cancers, but feels blessed she is still around to experience those complications. She advocates for individuals diagnosed with cancer and she goes before state legislatures in an attempt to increase funding for cancer research.