DELISA C.

There was no question where I would go for treatment when I was told of my diagnosis. My sister had breast cancer 14 years before me, with no recurrence, and she had gone to City of Hope to be treated. I knew I would do the same.

With no other history of cancer besides my sister’s, I insisted on BRCA gene mutation testing just after my first surgery. About 5-10% of all breast cancers are related to these mutations.

We found that I did, in fact, carry the mutation. My six siblings were notified of the possibility of carrying the same mutated gene so that they could consider testing as well. While finishing up radiation treatment, my baby sister informed me she not only tested positive for the mutation, she was newly
diagnosed with breast cancer. My joy at completing treatment swiftly turned into a profound sorrow. Three sisters diagnosed….what were the implications for our children?

VIRGINIA J.

At age 40, I had no doubt that City of Hope was where I needed to be when I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer. My husband had been successfully treated there for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma 20 years prior, and I knew City of Hope had a stellar reputation. I was able to feel more at peace and could focus on getting well because I had complete faith in my healthcare team.

Fifteen years after I had finished treatment, in 2008, and after my sisters had both been diagnosed, I learned that I carried a BRCA 2 gene mutation. Even though I had been cancer-free for over a decade, having this mutation put me at substantial risk for a recurrence and/or a brand new cancer. My head spun when I learned that something I thought was all behind me has been walking beside me – silent, insidious and waiting for the right opportunity to make its presence known. After I absorbed this information, I knew that I would need to undergo prophylactic surgery in order to reduce my risks. Again, City of Hope made sure that I received the best care available – and once again the specter of breast cancer has no place in my personal life.

I may not think about cancer every day, but not a day goes by that I’m not aware of the gifts my family has been given. I’ve recently taken up running and I love when I feel the exhilaration and pain of reaching a new goal. It reminds me that I am alive. And I’m so grateful for that.

CANDIDA O.

On January 22, 2008, I learned that I, like my two older sisters, carried the BRCA 2 gene mutation. Meeting with the doctor and social worker at
City of Hope’s Clinical Cancer Genetics department, we discussed the options that could lessen my risk of ever getting cancer. However, a decision was to be made for me just two weeks later. I learned that I already had stage 2 breast cancer. A week and a half after that, I was in the operating room
undergoing a bi-lateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, and four weeks after that, I was back at City of Hope receiving my life-saving treatment: 4 rounds of chemotherapy, followed by 6 1/2 weeks of radiation and 5 years of an Aromatase inhibitor.

My sisters provided wonderful support, AND the fact that they had been treated at City of Hope gave me the confidence that I, too, would survive. Along with my support system, we began to assemble a team of super heroes and heroines at City of Hope – choosing many of the same doctors my sisters did.

The doctors and researchers at City of Hope have dedicated their lives to saving people, and I believe with my whole heart that I received the best treatment available. The best of me is yet to be. At the beginning of this journey I asked myself, “Will I have a future?" City of Hope made my future a reality.