Survivor Stories

Stories of Cancer Survival

Mary Guiterrez (Breast Cancer)

Cancer touches each of us in different ways. Mary's story began long before her own breast cancer diagnosis. She had a sister who lost her battle to cancer and has a daughter who is a breast cancer survivor. Upon hearing the unfortunate news of having cancer, Mary was determined to defeat the disease – but not alone. Mary was thankful to be surrounded by a large, tight-knit family who supported and encouraged her throughout her bout with cancer.  As a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Mary was determined to enjoy a long and fruitful life in her many roles.           
 
Mary’s diagnosis and her particular set of circumstances made her an ideal candidate for participating in a clinical trial. Upon her oncologist's recommendation and prescription for treatment, Mary agreed to participate in a clinical trial using a proven chemotherapy drug, which would be used in a different timeframe than the standard regimen. Once she knew that her involvement in a clinical trial could help other cancer patients, her decision to participate was an easy one.
 
Mary successfully completed a long regimen of chemotherapy. She will be followed by researchers for many years to identify and document long-term effects of the treatment. As a volunteer for clinical trials, Mary has been a pioneer in the on-going effort to cure cancer. “If I can do something to help others who are faced with cancer, I am more than happy to do that,” Mary said. “I know it helped me through the many months of treatment and now I hope and pray that it helps other people too.”