New Answers, New Hope

Genetics Proves Key in the Battle Against Cancer for Lorie Olson and Her Family

By Julie Cerney, Methodist Health Connections, Fall 2006

IIf asked her age, Lorie Olson never dodges the question. This vibrant, upbeat wife and mother of four adult children is always quick to answer.

“I don’t mind telling you that I’m 45,” Lorie says, with a twinkle in her eye. “It means that I’m alive!”

Lorie’s journey, like that of countless other cancer survivors, is one of personal strength, faith, family and hope. It is also a journey of unexpected discovery. What Lorie has learned, through treatment and genetic testing at Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center, is helping to protect her and the lives and health of her family — today and for generations to come.

Cancer Journey Begins
Lorie’s daughter, Karen Naylor, 23, will forever remember the moment that cancer entered their lives. It was the summer of 2001.

“Mom came home crying, and soon Mom and Dad were crying together,” Karen explains.

Lorie had endometrial cancer, a cancer of the lining of the uterus that necessitated a radical hysterectomy. As time passed, Lorie, husband Greg and the kids rejoiced in her recovery, thinking cancer was behind them. Then, more than a year later, came the headaches — excruciatingly painful headaches.

Second, More Serious Cancer
Expecting to confirm a sinus infection, Lorie’s physician ordered X-rays, then an MRI. It revealed a brain tumor the size of a large plum.

“We got the call and checked Lorie into Methodist Hospital that day,” Greg says.

An expert, multidisciplinary team of physicians worked to customize a treatment plan that would give Lorie her best chance for survival. The odds were not in her favor.

Lorie had glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM, a stage 4 cancer. It is the most aggressive and deadly brain cancer.

Lorie’s Last Christmas?
“The prognosis is poor,” explains Stephen Lemon, MD, Lorie’s oncologist. “On average, survival is about 10 months without treatment, perhaps 15 months with treatment.”

With any cancer, Dr. Lemon advises a combination of realism and hope. “Cancer is unpredictable,” he says. “I tell my patients that you may do better or worse than these averages, but we will do everything we can to keep your cancer from coming back.”

Lorie’s tumor was surgically removed in October 2002. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy followed. Lorie remembers being surrounded by her loving family and thinking, “This could be my last Thanksgiving. This could be my last Christmas.”

Making Memories
The family chose to make the most of whatever time remained. A wedding was planned so that Lorie and Greg, who had eloped nearly 25 years before, could renew their vows in the church where their faith had deepened. Expecting a small gathering, Lorie was delighted to find the church overflowing with family and friends.

Greg also arranged a surprise trip to major league baseball’s spring training in Ft. Lauderdale. He wanted Lorie to meet
Rob Ramsey, the Orioles pitcher whose GBM diagnosis had made headlines.

“We saw Rob outside the stadium, and I tipped my cap back,” Lorie remembers. “He spotted the telltale scar, grinned and strode right over to us.” For both Lorie and Rob, this was the first chance to meet another GBM survivor.

Four Years Later
This October, the Olsons are celebrating a happy milestone. Four years have passed, and Lorie is cancer-free, working and enjoying a full life. She feels blessed to have lived to see her three oldest children marry and to welcome her first grandchild into the world.

Dr. Lemon believes Lorie’s positive attitude and supportive family have contributed to her success. He also points to the strong cancer support systems at Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center, including the physicians, nurses, laboratory and radiology departments, behavioral health and other services.

“It takes all of these things to do a good job for the patient,” Dr. Lemon explains.

For Lorie, Methodist’s genetic counseling and testing services were particularly helpful.

Seeking Answers
Dr. Lemon, who is fellowship-trained in hereditary cancer, felt that Lorie’s unusual combination of cancers, young age and family history suggested a specific genetic component. Four years ago, he referred Lorie to the Methodist Cancer Prevention and Hereditary Cancer Risk Program.

Lorie met with the program’s nurse coordinator, Kathy Christiansen, RN, BSN, OCN, to supply as much family medical information as possible. When Lorie contacted a side of the family she had lost track of, their information exchange
sparked a warm and ongoing reconnection — and the list of known family members with cancer grew.

“Hereditary cancer makes up only 5 to 10 percent of all cancers,” Kathy Christiansen explains. “We use a specialized computer model to analyze whether a person’s risk exceeds that.”

The option of confidential genetic testing with a board certified genetic counselor is available to those, like Lorie, who are found to be at increased risk. Lorie and Greg did not hesitate. They wanted to know everything they might be up against.

“Two decades ago, I lost my sister to pancreatic cancer. She was just 28,” Lorie says. “She is one of the reasons I wanted the test.”

Knowledge Is Power
The test confirmed that Lorie carries the genetic marker for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, or HNPCC. The HNPCC marker does not guarantee that a person will inherit or develop cancer. It means that a tiny gene alteration increases the risk slightly, especially for colon cancer and other cancers of the digestive tract. Lorie finds this knowledge empowering.

“Genetic testing made it easier to zero in on this for me,” Lorie explains, “and it can help identify family members at risk, early on, before cancer may develop.”

Because early detection remains the best weapon against cancer, Lorie’s physicians monitor her closely with a battery of screening tests, including colonoscopy, endoscopy, mammography, abdominal CT and MRI scans. Heightened vigilance is crucial for Lorie and for others who carry the HNPCC marker.

The decision to test for HNPCC is a very personal one. For Lorie’s daughter, Karen, the choice was easy. “I was studying genetic testing in my college biology class at the time,” Karen says. “For me, this was a sign that I should test, too, because I could help explain the importance of testing and cancer prevention to others.”

Sharing Her Parents’ Positive Outlook
Karen admits to being teary-eyed, but not really surprised to learn that she carries the HNPCC marker. Very much her mother’s daughter, this energetic young woman refuses to let the news dim her bright outlook on life.

“My health is fine,” Karen explains. “I’m a normal kid, and this won’t keep me from being who I am.”

Karen does follow recommended preventive care, including colonoscopies every two years, and she makes room for broccoli and other cancer-fighting foods in her diet. Overall, she focuses her energy on the positive, a trait she picked up from the parents she adores.

“My mom is the strongest person I’ve ever known,” Karen says with pride. “She’s amazing, and we’re all so thankful for every day we get to be with her.”

The Olsons agree that their cancer journey is about love intensified and life’s most important lessons learned. As Greg advises, “Don’t give up, no matter what,” and Lorie says, “Be strong. Hope is such a strong word.”

**