Patient Stories: Jeannine

Jeannine’s Colon Cancer Story

When Jeannine was diagnosed with colon cancer, she didn’t know if she had the strength to fight. She wondered who would be strong for her. But with Memorial Cancer Institute on her side, Jeannine was strong enough to beat colon cancer.

“I kept thinking it was a gynecology problem, so I kept going to the gynecologist,” Jeannine said. She had been reluctant to get a colonoscopy because of what she had heard about the screening.

“Everybody says it’s horrible, but it wasn’t that bad,” Jeannine said.

When Jeannine finally had a screening at the prompting of her gynecologist, her Memorial gastroenterologist found colon cancer in the lower part of her colon, according to Ihor Pidhorecky, MD, medical director of the surgical oncology program at Memorial Cancer Institute.

“After that, she had a metastatic workup, which is basically a scan to make sure the tumor has not spread elsewhere outside of the colon,” Dr. Pidhorecky said. “Those were negative. As a result, she underwent successful surgery to remove the tumor.”

Jeannine was frightened when she was first diagnosed. She truly thought it was a death sentence.

“I’m done — that’s it, it’s over,” she assumed. Then, she met the Memorial Cancer Institute team and Dr. Pidhorecky, and realized she could be stronger than cancer.

“When I met him, he was so efficient,” Jeannine said. “He was incredible, reassuring me that this was going to be over and done. He said, ‘You are an active 60-year-old woman, you’re going to be fine.’”

Jeannine’s surgery revealed that the cancer had spread to a lymph node, so Memorial’s medical oncology team recommended a course of chemotherapy as well.

“The reason for chemotherapy in colon cancer is to prevent tumor recurrence and disease recurrence,” said Pablo Ferraro, MD, director of Memorial Cancer Institute’s colorectal and GI program. “So we recommended treatment for that purpose and we prescribed twelve cycles of chemotherapy, over six months.”

Memorial’s multidisciplinary approach to patient care means the whole physician team works together to develop a comprehensive picture of treatment and prognosis, Dr. Ferraro said.

“When it comes to GI cancers, we are advanced in the field,” Dr. Ferraro said. “People are getting more and more benefit from the expertise and technology we have.”

Experience, expertise, technology and innovative treatments are only part of the equation, however. Dr. Pidhorecky said Jeannine’s strength made a real difference in her success.

“She always had a positive attitude,” he said. “Jeannine was very strong after her diagnosis. She was actually able to smile about it. She was very proactive about it. She had a great attitude, and I think that carried her through in her recovery.”

Memorial Cancer Institute’s commitment to patient- and family-centered care also helps make patients stronger in their fight against cancer.

“By incorporating a patient’s family and having many family members involved in the room during exams, who are taking notes and researching the cancer, they can, as a group, make the best decisions for the patient’s care,” Dr. Pidhorecky said.

Two years after her diagnosis, a cancer-free Jeannine said that when it comes to cancer treatment, Memorial Cancer Institute is the only place to go.

“They are fabulous,” she said. “They treat you like you are their only patient. They are your key to success. You need to be there. They are the ones that should take care of you.”

Dr. Pidhorecky cannot emphasize enough the need for everyone aged 50 or older to get regular colorectal screenings.

“Screening tests are designed to capture cancers at the earliest stage, before you have symptoms,” he said.

To schedule a screening or speak with a patient navigator,
call 954-265-4325.