To see Gina Danford playing with her 2-year-old daughter, 萨曼莎, an onlooker would never guess that a combination of good fortune and medical technology brought them together.
Fertility Preservation Helps Cancer Survivor Become Mom
丹福德被诊断出患有 卵巢癌 19岁时. “我的生活始于大学课堂, 给肿瘤学家的论文和期中考试, 诊断测试和即将进行的手术," says the now-37-year-old resident of Novato, 加州. "When you hear the words 'you have cancer,' your whole world changes."
That U-turn is especially intense for those with 卵巢癌. Each year roughly 20,000 women are diagnosed with 卵巢癌 and 15,000 die of the disease. 没有可靠的筛选方法, 它通常在被发现之前就已经扩散了, 这意味着更低的存活率.
但丹福德很幸运. The cancer, which had grown to the size of a small basketball, had not spread beyond her right ovary. After a surgeon removed the tumor in her right ovary and fallopian tube, 丹福德被宣布癌症痊愈.
庆祝她完全康复, 丹福德按时完成了大学学业, earned an MBA and embraced her inner traveler. She spent a year living and working in Germany. In 2000, 她搬到了旧金山, 她在哪里遇到了她未来的丈夫, 皮特, on a blind date; they married in 2002. 尽管他们知道他们想要孩子, like many couples they planned to spend time as a twosome first.
That plan went awry in 2006 when a scan and a blood test called CA-125 (both routine screening procedures for women with a history of 卵巢癌) suggested Danford's cancer had returned. 这次肿块在她的左卵巢. “我很幸运,”她说. "I didn't think I would beat another brush with cancer."
When faced with cancer, many patients and doctors jump into treatment mode. But cancer treatment can threaten fertility, and Danford's case was no exception. Her gynecological oncologist explained that she'd most likely lose her remaining ovary and maybe even her uterus.
她命悬一线, her desire to have a biological child someday felt secondary: It would take time to explore that possibility, and time seemed a luxury she couldn't afford. But her physician encouraged her to consider her options. 就在那时,她和她的丈夫遇到了Dr. 米切尔·罗森,加州大学旧金山分校医学中心.
罗森 is a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility expert at the 加州大学旧金山分校生殖健康中心. 作为 加州大学旧金山分校生育保护项目, he helps patients with cancer preserve their ability to have children, 尽管有积极的癌症治疗. "Dr. 罗森 was amazing, kind and empathetic,丹福德说. "He walked us through our choices and answered all of our questions."
来见见吉娜的护理团队
在罗森的照顾下, Danford chose to delay cancer treatment long enough to freeze embryos, 一种叫做低温保存的技术. The decision didn't quash her doubts; like many young women in her situation, 她竭力回答一些尖锐的问题. 如果癌症已经扩散了怎么办? What if she had a child and the cancer came back again? What if she didn't live long enough to have kids?
After a grueling month of preparing her body with hormones, Danford had 33 eggs retrieved from her left ovary; 19 became embryos. The retrieval happened on a Friday, and the following Monday a surgeon removed the mass on her ovary. 让所有人宽慰的是,增长是良性的. 在缓慢恢复之后, the couple waited to make sure Danford was healthy and in 2009 moved forward with After a grueling month of preparing her body with hormones, Danford had 33 eggs retrieved from her left ovary; 19 became embryos. The retrieval happened on a Friday, and the following Monday a surgeon removed the mass on her ovary. 让所有人宽慰的是,增长是良性的. 在缓慢恢复之后, the couple waited to make sure Danford was healthy and in 2009 moved forward with 体外受精(IVF).
Having weathered several surgeries and cancer scares, Danford felt prepared to face any medical procedure necessary, but the physical and emotional strain of IVF surprised her. "This time it was not just my life hanging in the balance,她说. “那是我孩子的."
前两轮都失败了. The third attempt would be their last – the couple was emotionally and financially drained, 大多数保险公司不包括体外受精, and the price can easily climb to tens of thousands of dollars. 再一次,他们很幸运. On the third try, Danford became pregnant with their daughter, 萨曼莎.
萨曼莎出生于2010年5月, and Danford now wants to share her success with other young people facing cancer. "I want women to know that cancer doesn't mean you need to sacrifice your desire to be a mother,她说. “有很多选择。."
她的故事并没有就此结束. In January 2012 Danford helped launch ALTUS, a San Francisco-based business-consulting company. She credits her struggles with cancer for tapping veins of courage, strength and determination she didn't know she had. “尽管这很可怕, 我不希望这样的事发生在任何人身上, 好的事情确实会发生,丹福德说. "And, ultimately, the experience gave me my daughter."