Amber's Triumph: Woman in Remission After Years of Misdiagnosed Colon Cancer
Amber Kissell, a woman in her mid-thirties, faced a harrowing journey when she was initially dismissed by doctors for her symptoms of colon cancer. Despite several misdiagnoses, she is now in remission, almost a decade after her successful treatment.
Amber's symptoms began with alternating constipation and diarrhea, which she initially attributed to pregnancy. However, her condition worsened, and she discovered blood in her stool after giving birth. Both a primary care physician and a gastroenterologist misdiagnosed her, attributing her symptoms to a tear in the mucosa or hemorrhoids. It wasn't until she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, with the cancer already spread to the liver and lymph nodes, that she received the correct diagnosis.
Several doctors had dismissed her complaints before her correct diagnosis. It was only after consulting with Dr. Pashtoon Kasi, medical director for gastrointestinal oncology at City of Hope in Irvine, California, that she was recommended for neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Dr. Kasi explained that this treatment can sometimes lead to complete remission in about a third of suitable colon cancer patients. Amber's own treating doctor, whose name is not specified, adapted her treatment plan based on the successful results of the chemotherapy. After her fourth round, scans showed all tumors in her liver and lymph nodes were gone, and the primary tumor in the colon had significantly shrunk.
Amber Kissell's story is one of resilience and hope. Despite initial misdiagnoses and dismissals, she is now in remission, almost a decade after her successful treatment. She only needs to see her oncologist once a year for a check-up. Her experience highlights the importance of persistent communication with healthcare providers and the potential success of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in suitable colon cancer patients.
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