Amy Tucker survives cancer and gives birth to a health baby boy
Text Size:
Amy Tucker was 19 years old when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that doctors said would mostly likely leave her sterile after she finished treatment. Today she is cancer free, and the proud mother of a bouncing baby boy, and speaking about how she was able to live her dream, The St. Louis Globe-Democrat reports.
Tucker, now 32, underwent what was an experimental procedure at the time when she found out she had Hodgkin's lymphoma. Due to the amount of radiation and chemotherapy she was going through, she was going to be left sterile, but one of her healthcare providers told her about the work Dr Sherman Silber was doing in the field of fertility preservation.
She went into remission in 2001, but was left menopausal and unable to conceive. She had made a decision while battling the disease to have one of her ovaries removed and frozen by Dr Silber. In 2009, she returned to have him transplant her ovarian tissue so that she could conceive a child. Her son Grant was born in May 2010.
"With ovary freezing and transplantation, women can now preserve their ovaries and their fertility for the future after they are cured of their cancer," Dr Silber told the news source.
Tucker is believed to be the first cancer survivor in the United States to give birth using this fertility preservation procedure.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that over 8,000 new cases of Hodgkin's disease will be diagnosed in 2010. It is most commonly diagnosed in individuals age 15 to 40 and those over the age of 55.
The two main treatments of Hodgkin disease are chemotherapy and radiation. In some cases, both treatments are used. High dose chemotherapy with blood-forming stem cell transplants are used for certain people if other treatments aren't not working.
The ACS is an excellent source for patients going through cancer treatment, survivors, and their families. The organization works tirelessly on behalf of patients who have battled the disease, and provides support for them while going through a difficult period.
Tucker, now 32, underwent what was an experimental procedure at the time when she found out she had Hodgkin's lymphoma. Due to the amount of radiation and chemotherapy she was going through, she was going to be left sterile, but one of her healthcare providers told her about the work Dr Sherman Silber was doing in the field of fertility preservation.
She went into remission in 2001, but was left menopausal and unable to conceive. She had made a decision while battling the disease to have one of her ovaries removed and frozen by Dr Silber. In 2009, she returned to have him transplant her ovarian tissue so that she could conceive a child. Her son Grant was born in May 2010.
"With ovary freezing and transplantation, women can now preserve their ovaries and their fertility for the future after they are cured of their cancer," Dr Silber told the news source.
Tucker is believed to be the first cancer survivor in the United States to give birth using this fertility preservation procedure.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that over 8,000 new cases of Hodgkin's disease will be diagnosed in 2010. It is most commonly diagnosed in individuals age 15 to 40 and those over the age of 55.
The two main treatments of Hodgkin disease are chemotherapy and radiation. In some cases, both treatments are used. High dose chemotherapy with blood-forming stem cell transplants are used for certain people if other treatments aren't not working.
The ACS is an excellent source for patients going through cancer treatment, survivors, and their families. The organization works tirelessly on behalf of patients who have battled the disease, and provides support for them while going through a difficult period.
Related Stories
Special Offer
