Cancer Patient Stories
Stories of hope and healing from the Knight Cancer Institute
Cancer is a life-altering diagnosis. But it’s usually written about in a cold, impersonal way. To restore the balance, we've collected some stories about our patients. From the first diagnosis to the last round of treatment, they show us what cancer feels like from the inside. They told their stories in the hope of helping other patients and families at any stage of illness. We are honored to share these snapshots of real people contending with the real challenges of cancer. If you have a story to share, please get in touch with us at KnightCancerCom@ohsu.edu
Surgery
![A woman is fishing on a verdant riverbank. She casts the rod with outstretched hand. The scene is peaceful and calm.](/sites/default/files/2023-10/KCI-Patient-Story-Fishing.jpg)
‘You have to move forward’
After she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, Shonna Oliver put her trust in two people: her husband and her doctor.
Surgery
![cancer survival story Brian Matekovich](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Brian-Matekovich-300x300px.jpg)
‘I can walk again’
A tumor the size of a cabbage was destroying his knee. Then Brian Matekovich heard of a new type of therapy.
Targeted therapy
![Cancer survival story Judy Orem](/sites/default/files/2022-09/judy-orem-300x300px.jpg)
Out of options — until she tried Gleevec
Judy Orem was desperate. Chemo wasn’t working any more. Then she found a ray of hope.
New therapy
![Cancer survival story Diana Dowd](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Diana-Dowd-300x300px.jpg)
In it for the long haul
Diana Dowd joined a clinical trial to test a new therapy for a rare cancer. She helped change the way the condition is treated.
Prostate cancer
![Cancer survival story David Seidl](/sites/default/files/2022-09/David-Seidl-300x300px.jpg)
Make the most of your time
It was an experimental treatment. David Seidl didn’t hesitate.
Clinical trials
![cancer survival story Susan Brock](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Susan-Brock-300x300px.jpg)
Weathering the storm
How do you survive cancer in the face of a pandemic? Susan Brock focused on getting three things done every day.
Breast cancer
![Cancer survival story Emily Hauser](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Emily-Hauser-300x300px.jpg)
Surviving cancer — twice
Emily Hauser’s journey began when her daughter bumped against her chest. She felt a strange pain.
Clinical trials
![A young man stands against a brick wall. He looks at the camera with a confident gaze.](/sites/default/files/2023-10/KCI-Patient-Story-Derek.jpg)
The cancer kept coming back
Battling aggressive bone cancer, Derek Fadness faced a choice. Should he take a chance on a new type of treatment?
Clinical trials
![Cancer survivor stories Leola Kalamau](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Leola-Kalamau-300x300px.jpg)
A van and a mammogram
The exam took Leola Kalamau 15 minutes. It may have saved her life.
Breast cancer
![cancer survival story Brenna Lindsley](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Brenna-Lindsley-300x300px.jpg)
‘But I eat blueberries… I can’t have cancer’
Strong. Independent. Could Brenna Lindsley stay that way despite a terrifying diagnosis?
Bile duct cancer
![Cancer survival story Lynn Story](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Lynn-Story-300x300px.jpg)
Rare tumor, remarkable person
The surgeons could take out her cancer. But how would they stitch her back together?
Breast cancer
![cancer survival story Jennifer Severance](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Jennifer-Severance-300x300px.jpg)
Welcome to the whirlwind
As a single mom, facing the most aggressive type of breast cancer, Jennifer Severance needed a plan.
New therapy
![Cancer survival story Lisa Wooden](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Lisa-Wooden-300x300px.jpg)
Bravery and a backpack
Lisa Wooden got a new type of therapy for her stage IV cancer. Yes, she carries it in a backpack.
Whipple surgery
![Dr. Flavio Rocha with patient Anne Matsen.](/sites/default/files/2023-08/Anne-Matsen-pancreatic-cancer-patient-spotlight-225.jpg)
New hope for pancreatic cancer
Whipple surgery gives pancreatic cancer survivor Anne Matsen precious time to spend with her grandchildren.
Leukemia
![A teenage boy stands with his arms crossed. He is smiling at the camera in a playful, confident pose.](/sites/default/files/2023-10/KCI-Patient-Story-Dario.jpg)
Always strong
Dario Villaseñor Valdivia survived leukemia thanks to a bone marrow transplant. His personal motto? Siempre Fuerte — always strong.
Leukemia
![Cancer survival story Hai Pham](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Hai-Pham-300x300px.jpg)
‘I wanted to give back’
Hai Pham thought his weight loss was due to stress. Until he got a bruise that wouldn’t heal.
Bone marrow transplant
![Cancer survival story Matt McCallum](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Matt-McCallum-300x300px.jpg)
‘I would understand if you walked away’
Distance runner Matt McCallum and his wife Gabi Duarte had just gotten engaged. Were they ready to face this together?
Breast cancer
![Cancer survival story Celeste and Zabrina Saenz](/sites/default/files/2022-09/celeste-and-zabrina-saenz-300x300px.jpg)
An all-woman breast cancer team? Yes!
Celeste Saenz drove 2,000 miles to get treatment at the Knight Cancer Institute. It was worth it.
Breast cancer
![Cancer survival story Liberty Barnes](/sites/default/files/2022-09/liberty-barnes-300x300px.jpg)
Three dots mark the spot
When Liberty Barnes told her kids she had cancer, her son cried out, “But you’re my mom!”
Immunotherapy
![Patient Shanie Mason.](/sites/default/files/2023-06/Shane_1080px-250px.jpeg)
Hug the ones you love
Shanie Mason had stage IV cancer. Would a clinical trial help her?