The Impact of Your Giving…Through the experience and courage of a patient

Sandy Lymburner

“Recently I came across the definition of the word
Courage. It is the quality of mind or
spirit that enables a person to face difficulty or pain. You have to have courage just to walk through
these doors and hear your diagnosis,” said Sandra Lymburner, 58-year-old
Ann Arbor resident, of her experience facing breast cancer. “Cancer can
make you feel overwhelmed and alone. But together with your cancer team here at
St. Joe’s you find the courage. There is
strength in knowing you will receive the best cancer care possible.”

While Sandy celebrates
five years cancer-free this past September, her journey of braving a new treatment
path will have an ongoing impact on others.
She’s quick to credit the cancer care and research team at St. Joe’s
Robert H. and Judy Dow Alexander Cancer Center.

Weeks after being diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma
in the right breast and lobular cancer in the left, Sandy underwent a double
mastectomy in September 2014. Her chemotherapy port was placed the next month,
fully expecting it was the next course of treatment.

But on the day of Sandy’s first scheduled chemotherapy
session, Dr. Philip Stella, medical director of oncology at Saint Joseph Mercy
Health System, suggested she might be able to bypass chemotherapy altogether.

“He came into the room with a big
smile on his face,” Sandy described. Dr. Stella
had sent in her breast tumor samples for molecular testing. Sandy had some of the lowest cancer
recurrence risk scores he had seen, making her a good candidate for the
groundbreaking Trial Assigning Individualized Options for Treatment (Rx), or
TAILORx trial. Sandy received a score of
10 and 7 (on a scale of 100), and was randomly selected to receive hormone
therapy alone.

Rather than receiving infusion chemo treatments, Sandy chose
to participate in the clinical trial, which includes a treatment regimen of
medications to block the production of hormones and reduce her risks of the
breast cancer recurring.

She also followed her cancer team’s recommendations for
radiation therapy – to tackle the microscopic cells. But avoiding chemotherapy and its drastic
side effects was a huge morale booster for Sandy, who began journaling and
running every day.

In 2016, Sandy completed a half-marathon, and, in 2018, to mark
four years of being cancer-free, she ran her third half-marathon in Chicago on
Sept. 23.

At the Robert H. and Judy Dow Alexander Cancer Center
Dedication and Blessing in December 2018, Sandy shared her experience with our
community and donors as a speaker at the event, “The clinical trial
allowed me to walk out of the cancer center that day without requiring
chemo. Every time I tell the story, I
recall the moment I looked back at the chairs in the infusion clinic. I was on the other side. I got to go home. My good fortune was due to the outstanding
staff in the Oncology and Research Departments at St. Joe’s and Dr.
Stella.

At that time I didn’t realize St. Joe’s is recognized as one
of the nation’s best National Cancer Institute funded community research
programs. They have 100 trials open to enrollment at any given time. These studies offer investigational
treatments for a wide variety of cancers, symptom management, and cancer
prevention.”

Sandy went on to explain, “The exceptional care I
received at St. Joe’s has been incredible and is the main reason I decided to
become an Experience Advisor.” As such,
Sandy was closely involved in the Cancer Center redesign and renovation project
and found it enlightening and gratifying to have another unique opportunity to
shape the care of those following a similar path.

Closing her remarks at the Dedication, Sandy shared these
powerful words, “Society has labeled me a cancer survivor. That term doesn’t really resonate with
me. I like to think of myself as a
resilient fighter… Someone that didn’t know how strong she was until being strong
was the only choice she had. Thanks to
my family and the staff at St. Joe’s we embraced the unknown together and I
have celebrated almost five years of being cancer free.”

TAILORx
trial shows no need for chemotherapy for most women with early breast cancer

The
TAILORx trial, launched in 2006 and supported by the National Cancer Institute,
analyzed breast tumors using the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score and
assigned a cancer recurrence risk score to each individual. Based on those scores, the trial randomly
assigned participants to hormone therapy alone, or a combination of hormone
therapy and chemotherapy.

Forty St. Joe’s patients participated
in the trial.

In June,
the National Cancer Institute said new findings from the TAILORx trial show no
benefit from chemotherapy for most women with early breast cancer. Researchers
hope the new data will help inform treatment decisions for many women with
early-stage breast cancer, especially for those deemed to have an intermediate
risk of recurrence.

To learn more about St. Joe’s Cancer Care and National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program, visit: stjoesannarbor.org/cancer

To make a gift to St. Joe’s Ann Arbor “Life is Remarkable” Campaign


Cancer Care Innovation Endowment Fund today, visit: giving.stjoeshealth.org/ann-arbor

Or to learn more about how you can support this important effort, contact:


Katie Elliott at Katie.Elliott@stjoeshealth.org or 734-712-3919


Karen Campbell at Karen.Campbell@stjoeshealth.org or 734-712-2890


Melissa Sheppard at Melissa.Sheppard@stjoeshealth.org or 734-712-4079

(Source: “Gift of Health” Fall 2019)