129: Rebecca Esparza survived ovarian cancer and thyroid cancer | cisplatin | bleomycin| etopicide
Release Date: 10/22/2024
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_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.