My Cancer Journey

Betsy was diagnosed with later stage ovarian cancer in 2012 at 58 years old. A lifelong fitness enthusiast and triathlete, she was noticing heaviness in her abdomen when running but there was no accompanying pain. After visits to 4 different doctors, she was found to have a large mass around one ovary. Her surgeon, Chris Awtrey, a gynecological oncology surgeon from Beth Israel Hospital in Boston removed the mass and did a complete hysterectomy, also removing her ovaries.

Betsy was further treated at Dana Farber Cancer Center in Boston.  Her oncologist, Ursula Matulonis, chief of the division of Gynecological Oncology at Dana Farber offered her a treatment called IV/IP where one drug is given through a port in the abdomen and another through a port in the chest. Betsy’s treatment lasted 5 months. While the treatment was quite compromising physically at the time, Betsy is cancer free to this day and able to live a very active life.

Most importantly, treatment such as IV/IP and the accompanying cancer fighting drugs would not be available to patients today without researchers in the major cancer centers working together. They dedicate their careers to finding new, innovative medicines and technology to help keep patients living longer while dealing with a cancer diagnosis.