WellStar Cancer Network 2016 Annual Report

A PATIENT’S STORY
The Genetic Risk Assessment program has
produced many success stories, including
among our own team members. Desiree
Meeks, RN is a perioperative charge nurse
who has worked for WellStar for the last ten
years. As she says, “Cancer diagnoses are as
common in my family as cuts and scrapes are
in other families.”
Over the years, her aunts, cousins and
other relatives have been diagnosed with
ovarian, colorectal and endometrial cancer;
and she was instrumental in recognizing her
own mother's cancer. “When I was a recent
nursing school graduate and my mother
was 48, I noticed unusual behaviors and
symptoms in her,” said Ms. Meeks. “She went
to a doctor at my urging and was diagnosed
with endometrial cancer.”
One of her aunts, who had already had
multiple primary cancers, sought genetic
testing in order to serve as a sort of baseline
for the family. The results have helped others
in the family become more aware of their risk.
Desiree herself had experienced reproductive
health issues throughout her adult life,
and her doctors thought she might never
be able to have children. She beat the
odds, becoming a mother of two. After her
daughters were born, her doctors urged her
to have a hysterectomy in order to address
many of her medical challenges. She resisted,
because at only 34 years old, she wanted
to avoid very early, surgically-induced,
menopause. She began to research options
in the hopes of keeping her ovaries.
Following the example of her aunt, Desiree
sought genetic testing. She hoped it might
reveal that she didn't have an increased
risk of ovarian cancer. Instead the results
showed that she had Lynch Syndrome, a
hereditary condition that causes increased
risk for many types of cancer, especially
ovarian, endometrial and colorectal. Rather
than providing a rationale for keeping her
ovaries, genetic testing empowered her
with the resolve she needed to undergo the
hysterectomy.
By opting for the surgery, Desiree eliminated
her chance of getting endometrial and
cervical cancer, and dramatically reduced
her risk for ovarian cancer. Because cancer is
so prevalent in her family, she remembers,
“being afraid that the surgeon would
find a malignancy while performing the
hysterectomy.” She remains vigilant about
early detection for the gastrointestinal
cancers for which she remains at high risk.
Knowing she has Lynch Syndrome has
changed the way she talks about health with
her family. She urged her sister to be tested,
and she intends to have her daughters tested
when they are old enough. She knows that
they each have a 50-50 chance of carrying
the gene for Lynch Syndrome.
Because of her experience, Desiree provides
cancer patients empathy and a level of social
support that makes a lasting impact. “I have
been on both sides of the equation, so I
can speak to my patients as an expert and
as someone who has been where they are.
It helps them feel more at ease when they
see that WellStar offers a way to gain some
measure of control over their cancer risk.”
WELLSTAR CANCER NETWORK • 2016 ANNUAL REPORT • 9