Your stem cell transplant consultation: Questions to ask
Your doctor may recommend that you undergo a stem cell transplant if you’ve been diagnosed with a blood cancer, such as leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma or myelodysplastic syndrome — or even a bone marrow failure syndrome such as aplastic anemia.
This procedure replaces blood cells that have been damaged by cancer or chemotherapy with healthy cells. But before you move forward with a stem cell transplant...

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma side effects are a small price to pay for life
I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin diffuse B-cell lymphoma on Aug. 14, 2015, and since then, I have undergone three rounds of chemotherapy,...
No stomach, no problem! Gastrectomy patient another step ahead after marathon
Marne Shafer thought her running days were behind her after she received a total gastrectomy, a surgical removal of the stomach and nearby...
Surviving HPV-related tonsil cancer twice
While I was shaving one morning in 2012, I noticed a large lump under my jaw. I immediately made an appointment to see an ear, nose and throat specialist, who told me that it was just a benign cyst.
Over the next year, I went back for two additional exams. By November 2013, a nurse finally suggested a CT scan and an additional biopsy of the tissue under my jaw. Bingo! They discovered the lump was from cancer that metastasized...

How a testicular cancer diagnosis changed my life
Before I had testicular cancer, I was a really cynical person. I looked at the glass as half-empty. And I saw everything in life as just a...
Ovarian cancer survivor: Stay true to yourself
When Pam Scarpino was diagnosed with stage IIIC high-grade serous ovarian cancer in October 2007, her local oncologist told her she was really...
A caregiver’s advice for preserving quality of life
Singer Kimmie Rhodes had been married to legendary music producer Joe Gracey for 28 years when he died of metastatic esophageal cancer in...
How I quit tobacco and gained freedom
I started smoking when I was 17 years old. Nearly two decades later, at 36, my smoking addiction had taken ownership of my life, and I hated...
Melanoma survivor: Why I chose a clinical trial
I was diagnosed with melanoma in October 2014, at the age of 26.
It all started with a bump on my scalp, which nobody could really...
Family first after my non-Hodgkin b-cell lymphoma diagnosis
When I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma in August 2015, my main concern was for my family. What was I going to tell my family...
Remission after allogeneic stem cell transplant and clinical trials
When Sandra Hurley was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) back in 1997, an Ohio-based oncologist gave her two to four more...
Multiple myeloma survivor finds success with stem cell transplants
Multiple myeloma patient Don Kendall had a pretty good idea what to expect when he began his stem cell transplant in January 2014.
...
Tongue cancer teaches patient and caregiver the art of reinvention
Singer and songwriter Kimmie Rhodes holds a somewhat unique distinction: she’s supported two different people on their oral cancer journeys...
Anaplastic thyroid cancer patient approaches each day as an adventure
59-year-old John Lange was focused on his work for a commercial airline and looking forward to a long, active retirement when, in December...
Two generations receive treatment at MD Anderson
In 1980, Jack Brown was 38 and busy working in oilfield sales. When a lump appeared on his left groin, he ignored it until his wife, Bobbie...
Why I'm fighting for renal medullary carcinoma patients
As I entered the fall of 2016, I found myself excited about my brother Herman’s cancer-free status. He had returned from MD Anderson at the...
Taking charge of esophageal cancer treatment
Tim Orellano knew something was wrong when minimal physical activity made him short of breath. “Other than acid reflux, I considered myself...