My Story
It was 6 years ago, I went for my first-ever mammogram at 40 years old. I didn’t think much of it as breast cancer doesn’t run in my family. After the scan of my breasts, I went home and waited for the results. I was called back for more imaging the next day and then was told to take a seat in the waiting room for what seemed like forever. I was brought back to the radiologist’s office to be told I most likely had breast cancer and needed to see a surgeon right away.
When I saw the surgeon that week I had a stereotactic biopsy which is how I found out I had cancer. Waiting those 2 days for the results seemed like forever, but at least we caught everything early. When we had our appointment the following week the plan was for a lumpectomy followed by 7 weeks of radiation. I wanted the surgery as soon as possible so it was scheduled for 2 weeks later. Everything went by so fast and I don’t think even to this day I really remember how I actually felt as I just wanted to get it out and over with.
[FREE RECORDED WEBINAR: Personalized Approaches to Treating Cancer Explained in Plain Language]
I have thought so many times what would happen if my breast cancer was to come back- what would I do? I had all the genetic testing so the chances of it coming back were pretty slim but you never know. Fortunately, I am in remission, for now…
What is My Plan if it Recurs?
I have done a lot of research and have found out a lot of information I wish I had known 6 years ago. First, I would store my tumor tissue and take a more personalized approach to my cancer. I have found that StoreMyTumor is the global leader in tumor preservation. With the stored tissue I can have diagnostic testing done to find out the genetic markers of my tumor and to find the right targeted drugs to kill my cancer cells. I can also use the tumor to create treatments that activate the immune system to fight the cancer and minimize the chance of relapse. Every tumor is unique and contains information critical to treatment, but tumors are not preserved alive by the hospital and routinely discarded as medical waste.
Why are more and more patients requesting that their tumors be stored?
Because they achieve a new level of control of their Cancer management through their own Personalized Tumor Intelligence. In this day and age, there is no reason to settle for the standard of care when there are better or more options out there. You just need to find them and be your own advocate to save your life!
Schedule a call with Stacey Nardo
Stacey Nardo is a breast cancer survivor who works as a Patient Advisor at StoreMyTumor. She is passionate about working with cancer patients navigating their treatment journey because she’s been in their shoes and understands what they are going through. An advocate for emerging cancer therapies, Stacey empowers patients to discover treatment options beyond the standard of care, explore all options and to never stop fighting.
