My cancer story

Author: Kristin Allen Kristin Allen Appendiceal cancer,Paraganglioma tumor
In early September of ’18, I was diagnosed with appendix cancer after an appendectomy. After going back in the hospital a few weeks later removing 13” of colon and stripping out lymph nodes, I spent a couple months healing before going on a 6-month course of FOLFOX IV chemotherapy in early ’19.

Once chemo was complete in the summer of ’19 a series of scans revealed a 3 CM tumor had developed in the mediastinum area of my chest. Initially, this was diagnosed as metastasized appendix cancer that had traveled through the bloodstream (bleak outlook), but after several weeks of further testing revealed it was actually a paraganglioma tumor. Although this was better news, it was still not good being a very difficult location to get to – surrounded by windpipe/spine/aorta/lung/larynx. Soon after discovering I had a tumor, I discovered I had the SDHB genetic mutation. This mutation predisposes me to develop Paraganglioma tumors and other cancers.