Cancer Patient Stories

At MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, our patients are the heart and soul of our efforts to improve cancer care. Read their inspiring cancer patient stories below, and learn why they chose to seek care from our team of experts.

Bladder cancer survivor wants to raise awareness among women

A woman sits on a wooden bench on a pier with marsh and river behind her

Ruth Sykora said she had never felt so surrounded by love as when she was undergoing treatment for bladder cancer.

Now, she is using her experience to raise awareness of bladder cancer among women, who are often at first assumed to have a urinary tract infection.

Read about her journey

a young woman sits cross legged on top of a hospital bed, smiling at someone off camera

intestinal T-cell lymphoma

3,000 Transplants

The Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant team recently celebrated 3,000 transplants – and patient Kennedy Golden exemplifies why they do what they do.

Breast Cancer

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Sarah Harry may be retired but she is one busy woman: caregiving, church activities - and chemotherapy for herself.

a stylish young woman poses in front of grand old homes of Charleston SC

Lung Cancer

ALK Mutation

Laura Reed was diagnosed with cancer at the same age that her mother had died. But decades have passed and treatments have improved, giving her hope.

portrait of Hollings Cancer Center patient Jayne Adams

Bladder Cancer

A New Chapter

A writer told her doctor she had too many books still to write to be sidelined by cancer.

a woman with short blonde hair, red glasses and chunky necklaces pauses to smile at the camera over her client's head

Melanoma

Melanoma Aware

After a melanoma diagnosis, this hairdresser is urging her clients to get suspicious spots checked out.

Tongue Cancer

First, A Wedding

A clinical trial of a new drug combination gave hope to a young woman diagnosed with tongue cancer.

“ It shows what these people at Hollings are doing. They took me – and I was really struggling when I came here in November – and in a little bit over three months, they turned me around. ”

Ted Kopacko, CAR-T cell therapy patient and lymphoma survivor
Ted's story

cancer survivor and MUSC instructor Michelle Brown Nelson

Salivary Gland Cancer

Giving Back

Knowing that past research made treatment of her salivary gland cancer possible, Michelle Brown-Nelson wanted to donate an unexpected windfall to new research.

a woman kneels in the grass next to a large dog

Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer Survivor

Susan Fasola's lung cancer was caught at an early stage, and that meant she could be treated solely with surgery - no chemo, no radiation, no drugs.

Breast Cancer

Personalized Care

Dana Booker's complex breast cancer case required multi-disciplinary care – and doctors who understood that getting to a concert was important, too.

a woman smooths a white veil as she stands in a shop surrounded by wedding dresses

Breast Cancer

October Bride

October will always be more than Breast Cancer Awareness Month for this breast cancer survivor. It's now her wedding anniversary month.

image of woman siting on sofa surrounded by her drawings and paintings

Breast Cancer

Finding Hope

Kathryn Diamond felt hopeless when she realized she had breast cancer. But then she learned how much treatments have changed.

immunotherapy patient Andy Abrams smiles and looks relaxed during his infusion treatment

Colon & Lung Cancer

To Catch a Cancer

Andy Abrams likes to say he’s the poster child for routine cancer screenings. In his case, one screening led to the diagnosis and treatment of two cancers.

“ And when you can look back and say, ‘Dang, that’s what I’ve come through?’ I mean, that just gives you chills within itself. To know that you conquered this and you’re a survivor – that’s huge. ”

Danielle Lee, leukemia and breast cancer survivor
Danielle's story

a smiling woman with a nearly bald head wearing a light pink shirt

Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Survivor

Prostate cancer survivor shares his story to encourage other men to know their options and take action.

a woman stands in her booth surrounded by her art

Oral Cancer

"It's been an experience," is Susan Shelton's understated way of explaining her journey with oral cancer.

a woman points off camera in a goofy manner while another woman looks at her and laughs

Ovarian Cancer

Mirroring Positivity

Carol Sullivan was stunned to learn she had ovarian cancer. She decided to pursue aggressive medical options - and to consciously maintain a positive mindset.

a doctor and patient pose in an exam room with a small framed artwork

Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasm

HIPEC Hope

A specialized chemotherapy treatment allowed a retired art teacher to continue with her love of painting, despite a rare cancer diagnosis.

a man sits in a relaxed manner in a comfortable chair and chats with a woman across the room

Lymphoma

CAR-T Therapy

CAR-T-cell therapy has given one lymphoma survivor another chance to see the world with his wife.

a man carries a woman in ankle deep water at the beach

Esophageal Cancer

After esophageal cancer treatment, Huger man is grateful for time with his family.

a couple poses on a cruise ship deck in front of a sunset

Lung Cancer

Robotic Lung Surgery

Debbie Grenier dreaded surgery. She still has major scars from a surgery 45 years ago. So she was astonished at her experience undergoing robotic lung surgery.

a woman sits on a wooden bench in her backyard with a Chihuahua on her lap

Multiple Myeloma

Dr. Hamza Hashmi hopes an immunotherapy drug in clinical trials will one day lead to a cancer cure. For now, it's enough to help one woman lead a normal life.

portrait of a young teen leaning against a wall in a hospital

Lung Cancer

Cancer Collaboration

Adult and pediatric doctors pooled their expertise to ensure a young patient would have few physical reminders of an extraordinary lung cancer surgery.

a young woman in a white coat poses in a garden

Lymphoma

Young Cancer Survivor

For Hannah Neimy, there's no better place to learn to be a doctor than the place where she was treated for Hodgkin lymphoma.

Colorectal Cancer

Symptoms Add Up

In retrospect, Adriel Nutter sees that she was sick long before her colorectal cancer diagnosis. But as a young adult, this cancer wasn't on her radar.

Colorectal Cancer

Colon Cancer

No one thought Ebony Holmes' symptoms could be cancer. Unfortunately, she's part of the trend of younger adults being diagnosed with colon cancer.

a smiling couple pose in a cancer center hallway

Lung Cancer

Patient Advocate

As part of a Stand Up 2 Cancer grant, Diane Juitt is now sharing her perspective as a patient advocate after beating lung cancer.

Breast Cancer

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials coordinator Alexandria Green falls in love with all her patients. But she's formed a particularly strong bond with one in particular.

a husband and wife, dual cancer survivors, share a laugh

Lung & Breast Cancer

Living with Cancer

Science and faith: The Hardys have survived two cancer diagnoses thanks to clinical trials and support from faith, family and friends.

Breast Cancer

Stage 0

A breast cancer survivor found a special connection with a mammography tech who could truly say "I've been in your shoes."

Breast Cancer

Positive Attitude

Triple negative breast cancer has been a life-changing adventure for Joannah Sampson, and now she wants to give back.

Breast Cancer

Mammogram Importance

Aleasa Barry has a simple message – knowing you have cancer isn't half as scary as not knowing because you won't get screened.

Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer Screening

An annual lung scan caught cancer early for one - now former - smoker.

photo of a young woman in tee shirt and jeans posing with bike

Thyroid Cancer

Student Rider

OT student Bridget Horgan leads LOWVELO bike team after successful thyroid cancer treatment at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center.

a seated man and woman smile at the camera along with their large white fluffy dog, who sits next to the woman and appears to smile

Esthesioneuroblastoma

Cancer Survivorship

A new initiative at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center aims to improve survivorship care for cancer patients.