Persistence leads to mom’s early-stage breast cancer diagnosis
Suzanne Moilanen has lived in six countries in the last 30 years. And while she enjoyed living abroad, it also allowed her to get complacent about her health.
“When you’re young and you live overseas, you don’t do well-woman exams every year,” she says, “and you kind of worry only about your kids’ health care needs.”
Then last summer, after she’d worked her way up to walking/running eight miles every day, her progress started...
Two-time ovarian cancer survivor: How the Moon Shots Program helped me
I was in Mexico in the summer of 2013 when I came down with a bad case of diarrhea. That’s a pretty common complaint among travelers, so I...
Radiation therapy: 11 questions my patients ask
As a radiation oncologist at MD Anderson in The Woodlands, I get a lot of questions from my patients about how radiation therapy will affect...
How my breast cancer journey helped me support my son
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, I remember thinking that if someone in our family had to face this disease, I was glad it was me. Today, it’s not. It’s my precious baby boy. My eight-year-old son, who was five when I was diagnosed, is now facing his own cancer diagnosis.
As a parent, it hurts so much to watch your child face this disease. The treatments can be so hard on the body. But Cameron is a fighter, and...
Second opinion, thyroid cancer surgery finally put survivor in remission
It’s taken nine years, but Paulette Spivey finally can say with confidence that she’s living without any evidence of cancer.
“I know...
Metastatic melanoma survivor gives hope to new patients
After doctors successfully removed a melanoma from J.P. Rodriguez’s back in 2006, he resumed his life – working, spending time with family...
Breast cancer patient finds hope in father’s cancer journey
Nearly a decade ago, Maria Newhouse’s father was told that his colorectal cancer had metastasized to his liver and lungs and that he had no...
Non-small cell lung cancer survivor: Cancer taught me compassion
The idea of chemotherapy terrified Pushpa Damle. She was scared of the side effects. She was scared of feeling weak. She was scared she couldn...
For melanoma survivor’s son, MD Anderson-Topgolf corporate alliance is personal
MD Anderson has been a part of Len Turpin’s family for generations. In the 1960s, his paternal great-grandmother was successfully treated...
Glioblastoma survivor keeps running
When Suzanne Stone completed her first half-marathon in February, the achievement was extra sweet: she’d managed to finish the long-distance...
After a breast cancer diagnosis, twins become genetic testing advocates
Twin sisters Ana and Roxana Lopez were only 17 when their mother died of breast cancer. Over the next eight years, several of their aunts...
During ovarian cancer treatment, patient learns to cope with stress
As Barb White has learned, life’s other challenges don’t stop when you’re diagnosed with cancer.
In February 2014, Barb -- then age...
Hypnosedation: Is it possible to have surgery without general anesthesia?
If you were told that there was a way to have surgery painlessly without general anesthesia, would you try it? Breast cancer survivor Kelly...
Breast and lung cancer survivor: My Gamma Knife surgery
If Mary Lynn Moser could use one phrase to describe her Gamma Knife® surgery, it would be, “It looked a lot worse than it was.”
Like...
Stage IV uterine cancer survivor: ‘Don’t give up hope’
After God, I owe my life to MD Anderson.
In the fall of 2009, I started feeling not just tired, but exhausted. I also had an unpleasant...
Symptom relief after pituitary tumor surgery
When I went to see my gynecologist for my annual exam in November 2016, I brought up some concerning symptoms I’d noticed throughout my body...
Thyroid cancer surgery: What to consider
Hearing you have a thyroid nodule can be scary, but it doesn’t always mean you have cancer. In fact, only about 10% of thyroid nodules are...
Haploidentical stem cell transplant survivor: Cancer, you never had a chance
One of the first features you notice about Travis Arnold is his wide smile. And, Travis has every reason to beam. He graduated this past May...
Newlywed celebrates end of breast cancer treatment with tattoo
Becky Roberds’ wedding was set for July 11, 2015. The 38-year-old had already selected her venue, invited the guests and tailored her dress...