Patient Stories

Don Pannell: Cancer-Free Following Innovative Robotic Prostatectomy

September 29, 2021

In the beginning, Don Pannell exhibited no obvious signs of prostate cancer. He had no issues with urination. No pain. And no family history of the disease.

Peggy’s Story: Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia

September 21, 2021

In May 2019, Peggy Setliff had her first 3-D mammogram following a 4-year lapse in annual mammograms."My younger sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 54, and my father died of three different forms of cancer," says the 66-year-old, who works at Memorial Hermann-TMC. "I had become lackad...

Treatment for Metaplastic Breast Cancer Dramatically Improves Patient’s Quality of Life

September 20, 2021

When Karen Cole finally sought medical care for the tumor growing in her right breast, the tumor measured 24 centimeters and weighed nearly 10 pounds. “I called it my monster,” says the petite 58-year-old from Montgomery, Texas. “I knew it was killing me, but I was upset and pan...

Multimodal Treatment of Aggressive Prostate Cancer in 58-Year-Old

September 10, 2021

During a routine physical in November 2020, 58-year-old Troy Griffin mentioned to his family doctor that he had been experiencing some minor urinary symptoms—a little stopping and starting of his urine stream and a bit of urinary urgency and frequency. His doctor performed a PSA test, which...

A Double Diagnosis of Brain and Lung Cancer

June 7, 2021

Natascha Odom thought she might be coming down with COVID-19 when she began having trouble finding the right words. The 49-year-old fourth grade math teacher at Hubenak Elementary School in Richmond told a colleague who took her to see the school nurse. When Odom told the nurse that the curren...

Young Dad Beats Colon Cancer, Welcomes Second Child

March 10, 2021

In 2017, Daniel Begnaud’s world as he knew it came crashing down when he was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer at the age of 30. A father of a 1-year-old son, he was initially told that it was unlikely he would ever have more children. On top of a cancer diagnosis, that was a hard pill to swal...

An ER Visit Results in a Shocking Diagnosis

March 10, 2021

When Elaine Delira’s legs began to swell, the 44-yearold would never have guessed the cause. After checking in at the Emergency Center at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital, Delira underwent a full workup. Her blood work came back indicating she was anemic. A CT scan revealed a possible tumor. ...

Karen Echols: The Warning Signs Were There

October 1, 2020

Karen Echols doesn’t mince words: “I think a lot of people don’t like to talk about their poop.” The 52-year-old Houston hairdresser and mother of three, now a rectal cancer survivor, says she knows a lot about poop. But because she kept ignoring the warning signs, she came by that knowledge the ...

Kristy Martin: Atypical Presentation of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

June 5, 2020

“My whole life changed. Everything changed,” she says. “But it has been such a positive journey. It made me realize what’s important and what’s not. Everyone worked together. It all worked out.”

Joseph Park: Advanced Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Early Stage Lung Cancer

December 1, 2019

When 78-year-old Joseph Park was diagnosed with stage IB non-small cell lung cancer in December 2019, members of Memorial Hermann’s multidisciplinary tumor board met to discuss his case and treatment options. Despite being in generally good health, Park has a history of smoking—he says he quit w...

Early Detection of Tubular Breast Carcinoma Saves Andrea Cain’s Life

May 3, 2019

Women who get routine mammograms know the drill: Before the exam, you’re typically asked if you have experienced any changes in your breasts—including pain or changes in appearance—since your last mammogram. Those questions prompted 55-year-old Middle School Principal Andrea Deneé Cain to recall ...

Breast Cancer Survivor Skips Chemotherapy

November 5, 2018

Sonya Lira has a strong family history of multiple cancers, but when she was tested for genetic mutations that might be linked to her breast cancer, there were none. “We did comprehensive genetic testing involving a complete gene sequencing of her DNA, testing for all known mutations,&rdquo...

Surviving Breast Cancer at a Young Age Angel Marie Fields Moves on to Help Others

July 17, 2018

Angel Marie Fields was out with friends when she noticed that her chest felt tight and heavy. She felt a lump but did not give it much attention. After all, she was only 26. When she checked it again later, it felt like one big lump. She made an appointment with her ob-gyn, Hany Ahmed, MD, w...

Saving a Linguist’s Tongue

July 17, 2018

In summer of 2017, Beck had what he thought was a canker sore that was not healing. His dentist examined it and advised him to see a specialist for a biopsy if it didn’t heal in a couple of weeks. After a biopsy that fall, he learned he had stage 2 carcinoma of the tongue and was referred t...

Adan’s Story: From Treating Patients to Becoming One

January 31, 2018

When Dr. Adan Rios was diagnosed with cancer, his physician, Dr. Karni, knew it was deeply personal. One morning, Adan woke up with the left side of his neck completely swollen and assumed he had developed a lymphoma. A biopsy revealed that it was sqaumous cell cancer. The next steps were imaging...

Robert Vasquez Esophageal Cancer Recovery

August 10, 2017

Robert visited Farzaneh Banki, M.D., director of the Esophageal Disease Center at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital and professor of surgery at the McGovern Medical School, part of UTHealth in Houston.

A lifelong machinist, Robert remembers being nervous because the surgery to treat his ...

On Making the Breast Cancer Treatment Decision: A Personal Story

July 19, 2017

Leigh Rozelle found the lump purely by accident, just three days before Christmas. As she crossed her arms, she felt a golf ball-size knot on the outer side of her left breast. My family practitioner was able to squeeze me into her schedule the very next day,” says Rozelle, who is 38. “When she e...

Carlos Velázquez: Cancer Is Just a Word

June 27, 2017

Every other month, Carlos Velázquez and his wife, Mónica Costa, make the 12,500-mile round trip between their home in Asunción, Paraguay, and Houston, Texas, where Velázquez is undergoing an innovative treatment for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The Paraguayan couple and their Texas Medical Cent...

Mike's Story - Lung Cancer

February 23, 2015

Jafri sent the slides to a specialist, who confirmed small cell lung cancer, a form that shares common neuro-endocrine features with carcinoid cancer, but tends to be extremely aggressive.

For Mike Autrey, the treatment began with 12 weeks of chemotherapy given along with radiation to the ...

Marquita's Story: Fighting Esophageal Cancer and Winning

November 30, 2012

In early 2010, Marquita Spell knew something wasn’t right. She was beginning to have difficulty swallowing and getting food down was becoming increasingly painful. “The discomfort was unlike anything I had ever experienced before,” Marquita explained. “I never had issues w...

Mackenzie's Story: A Ray of Sunshine

Mackenzie Wysong’s positive attitude and cheery outlook make the difference in how she approaches life and its challenges.

Mackenzie had only been living in Houston a little more than a year when she received a breast cancer diagnosis in 2013.

Mackenzie made up her mind to hav...

Tony's Story: Tonsil Cancer

Thanks to a referral to Ron Karni, MD, who routinely does surgery for oropharyngeal cancers using transoral robotic surgery with a CO2 laser, Lentola avoided the toxic treatments, the effects of which are particularly pronounced in head and neck cancer patients.

"By combining the laser and...