Survival stories
Cathey Kendall Survival stories
You Are Not Alone
By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi | stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com
This article is brought to you by Our Lady
Cathey Chustz, a lifelong Baton Rouge local, has been married 44 years and has two grown daughters and two young grandchildren In her career, she worked for the state’s highway department and later became an occupational therapist in the Livingston Parish Public School System, where she worked for 28 years.
In the summer of 2023, Chustz had just been put on Ozempic for her diabetes when she started having severe abdominal pains. She was aware one of the side effects was pancreatitis, and she initially thought that was the cause of the ongoing pain. Ultimately, Chustz’s endocrinologist ordered the ultrasound that identified a cancerous mass, confirming her diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
“When you get a diagnosis like this, it’s devastating especially pancreatic cancer,” said Chustz. “But here I am two years later. You can’t listen to what’s on Google; everyone is just so unique You’ve got to have hope, or you’re not going to make it
“I went in my first time to Our Lady of the Lake depressed and down thinking, ‘How am I going to get through this?’” Chustz said “I told my oncologist, ‘I guess I’m going to give up my traveling.’ He responded by saying, ‘Oh, I’m going to keep you traveling, Mrs. Chustz. He was so hopeful, and that just helped so much.”
After experiencing complications from an early biopsy procedure that brought her very near to death, Chustz began her chemotherapy plan Chustz has responded well to her first 18 months of chemotherapy, but she knows her fight is not yet over Since starting chemotherapy, she has continued traveling. She has taken trips to Hawaii, Carmel-by-the-Sea, San Francisco and Muir Woods National Monument
“A cancer diagnosis is overwhelming, but you become a new person,” said Chustz. “I know what’s important. I know not to waste any second of time My relationships have improved It is truly life changing.”
Cobb survivor of liver cancer
AMelissa
true Louisiana native, Melissa Cobb was born in New Orleans and lives in Prairieville with her husband, Ray, of 36 years. She has three grown children and three granddaughters Cobb continues to work full-time at her job at Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry. Her support system includes her family, her store management team and Jefferson Baptist Church where she sings in the choir.
“I started doing routine ultrasound scans every six months a while before my cancer diagnosis,” said Cobb “I had taken a trip with my husband to Memphis, and on our last night there, we had some Memphis barbeque The next morning, I really started having issues, and it didn’t go away It turned out that I had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. They also found a polyp on my gallbladder that they wanted to monitor with the ultrasounds.”
Cobb was very resolute in attending her routine doctor visits and making the necessary lifestyle changes after receiving the news that her liver was diseased She began to pay close attention to the food she consumed, opting to shift towards the plant-based diet her doctors recommended. This meant focusing on minimally processed foods such as raw fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts. It also meant adjusting any chemicals used for personal hygiene and making the switch to all-natural products to ensure her liver didn’t having to process any more “junk.”
“I had adjusted my diet before the diagnosis, but it wasn’t enough It was on the third scan that they found the tumor on my liver. I hadn’t previously known nonalcoholic fatty liver disease even existed, but it can cause liver cancer,” said Cobb
Even though Cobb’s cancer diagnosis was an unexpected upheaval in her life, she was grateful that she had been faithful to scheduling her six-month scans because they were able to catch the cancer in its early stages
Cobb underwent surgery that removed the tumor, as well as her gallbladder and lymph nodes that were badly diseased She also underwent chemotherapy treatment
What cancer survivorship means to Baton Rouge locals
Kendall Stephens
survivor of ovarian cancer
Istarted having stomach pain and cramping, and it would last a couple days before it would go away Then when I would eat, I would feel really full,” said Kendall Stephens, Baton Rouge local and mother of two. “It progressively got worse. I would go to a family gatherings, barely eat anything, but then would feel so full I would feel like I needed to throw up.”
Stephens had gone to her primary care physician and walkin clinics, with the concerns she was having Her blood work and x-rays came back with no indication of a problem. Stephens also noted how she attended her yearly woman’s wellness checkup with her OBGYN, but she did not think to let her OBGYN know about the stomach issues she had been encountering Stephens’ routine pap smear, which tests for uterine cancer, came back negative, as well “I did not know that a pap smear does not test for all gynecological cancers, I thought it did.” Stephens said
“I got to a point where it was just really getting bad, and in August of 2023, I went to my gastroenterologist and got an upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) test done I had been going to the bathroom more during the night, and I had also developed high blood pressure.”
Nothing of note came back from the results of her GI, and having just turned 45 years old, Stephens was told these symptoms could be due to her age. Exhausted from searching for a clear answer, Stephens put off further tests until the new year
In January 2024, Stephens went to the Emergency Room for severe pain. During her visit, the physicians ordered a computed tomography (CT) scan with contrast This scan discovered that Stephens had a cyst the size of a volleyball on her ovary. Another tumor was also pressing into her small intestine making it difficult for Stephens to consume anything besides soup The upper and lower GI she had received did not scope out the small intestine and therefore had missed one of the root causes of her abdominal troubles.
Following her stage 3C ovarian cancer diagnosis, Stephens team of doctors scheduled a radical hysterectomy and 6 rounds of chemotherapy with Sobia Ozair, MD, at Our Lady of the Lake Ultimately, Stephens also underwent HIPEC surgery (hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy), performed by Mo al Efishat, MD, at Our Lady of the Lake, a procedure where nearly all the organs are examined and anything cancerous is removed before it penetrates the organs
“I spent 6 days in ICU and 10 days in the hospital It took me a good six weeks before I could walk without assistance again.“The care I have received and continue to receive has been phenomenal All of my tests since that surgery have reported, No Evidence of Disease’ (NED), until recently,” Stephens said I now have a little 9mm spot on a lymph node behind my stomach. There’s been some talk of me doing radiation, but at this point we are going to watch the spot for now to see if it stays the same, grows, or multiplies.”
Stephens continues to do charity work amid the difficulties cancer has wrought on her life. One of her great passions is being a part of the Spanish Town Mardi Gras parade and the krewe’s community-driven causes. Throughout her cancer, Stephens also discovered her drive to play an active role in increasing awareness around ovarian cancer
“Be an advocate for yourself If you know that something is wrong, keep pushing to find the answer,” Stephens said
Survivors of ovarian cancer Stephens met along her journey have shared anecdotes of symptoms they experienced that were nearly missed--back pain, increased need to use the restroom, feeling unusually full or having difficulty eating, and more
“I had a friend of mine, who had been going to the doctor for back pain,” Stephens said “She didn’t have any other symptoms, just back pain. My friend said, ‘Because of you, and your story, I went again, and had it checked out,’ It turned out there was a tumor on her ovary pressing on her spinal cord She had gotten CT scans done before, but because the CT was not done ‘with contrast’ they didn’t spot the tumor. If you don’t have a contrast with the CT scan it’s harder to see cancer.”
As a proud member of the Geaux Teal community in Baton Rouge, Stephens looks forward to raising greater awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer
“I want to live life giving back and raising awareness, ” said Stephens
Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer may include:
• Abdominal bloating or swelling.
• Quickly feeling full when eating
• Discomfort in the pelvic area.
• Back pain.
• Changes in bowel habits, such as constipation.
• A frequent need to urinate.
and has endured many of the common side effects such as fatigue, loss of hair, neuropathy and skin sloughing on her hands and feet, which makes handling objects and walking in close-toed shoes difficult.
Cobb’s store managers and her family have supported her through these trials by making accommodations as needed and by finding ways to ease her discomfort Cobb noted how her family gifted her a cold-pack kit that included ice packs for her feet, hands and head, which helps to reduce the pain.
Cobb’s family have meant the world to her during this time In addition to assisting with her physical needs, they have been there every step of the way to help her keep pushing onward emotionally.
“One day my son was in the hospital with me, and he went to the gift shop. He said, ‘Mom, I got a water cup from the store here.’ It was an LSU Fighting Tigers water cup. He said, ‘I’m giving this to you as a gift because I need you to fight,” said Cobb The advice Cobb now wishes to share with others who are going through their own cancer journey is to listen to your doctors, find your support team and fight
Cathey Chustz survivor of pancreatic cancer
Melissa
of the Lake
Cancer Survivorship in the United States
A Nation of Survivors: The Growing Hope
(Source: American Cancer Society 2023 Cancer Facts and Figures)
Over 18 million Americans (approx 5.4% of the population) had a history of invasive cancer as of January 1, 2022.
Survivor Longevity (2022):
• 70% have lived five or more years since diagnosis.
• 48% have lived 10 or more years since diagnosis. 19% have lived 20 or more years since diagnosis.
Future Projections:
Number of survivors expected to reach 22.5 million by 2032 and 26.0 million by 2040.
• Individuals living 5+ years post-diagnosis projected to reach 19.2 million by 2040 (a 53% increase).
The Cancer Landscape: Progress Amidst Challenges
(Source: American Cancer Society 2025 Cancer Facts and Figures)
• 2025 Projections: Over 2 million new cancer cases and more than 618,000 deaths. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S.
• Death Rate Decline: The overall age-adjusted cancer death rate fell by 34% from its peak in 1991 through 2022, translating to nearly 4.5 million fewer deaths. The rate dropped by an average of 1.7% per year from 2013-2022.
• Drivers of Progress: Reductions in smoking, earlier detection for some cancers, and more effective treatments.
Turning the Tide: Milestones in Survival
(Source: American Cancer Society Cancer Facts and Figures 2025)
Overall 5-Year Relative Survival: Increased from 39% (early 1960s) to 69% (2014-2020).
• High Survival Cancers (>90% 5-year rate): Prostate, female breast, melanoma thyroid.
Then & Now - 5-Year Relative Survival Rate Increases for Key Cancers
(Sources: National Cancer Institute’s
The journey of cancer survivorship is marked by accelerating progress due to research, investment, and dedication. While challenges like rising incidence in some groups and disparities persist , the trend is toward increasing hope and better outcomes Continued innovation in detection, treatment and quality of life care promises a brighter future.
Cancer Awareness:
Baton Rouge physicians speak about the survivor journey
By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi | stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com
TThis article is brought to you by
Our Lady of the Lake
he Advocate is proud to partner with Our Lady of the Lake for Cancer Awareness, a webcast series focused on informing and empowering the community in Louisiana and beyond through conversations with cancer care experts.
This month, host Kim Holden sits down with three leading professionals from Our Lady of the Lake: Dr Pavani Ellipeddi, a medical oncologist; Dr Kelly Finan, a colorectal surgeon; and Dr John Lyons, a surgical oncologist. They discuss cancer survivorship and how they and their colleagues work to ensure their patients have the greatest opportunity to thrive as cancer survivors.
Our Lady of the Lake understands and operates with the perspective that cancer care goes far beyond treatment. It’s about helping people live well after diagnosis physically, emotionally and fully supported. Cancer Awareness can be viewed online at www.theadvocate.com
CLINICAL TRIALS
At Our Ladyofthe Lake Cancer Institute, we’regivingpatients new hope through bold ideas and innovative research. With more than 45 clinical trials focused on cancer care, our patients have access to some of themost advanced treatments availabletoday. From the latestbreakthroughsin precisionmedicinetoimmunotherapy and targeted therapies, we bring new treatment paths andmorepossibilities to families across our region. Backed by ateam of experts anddriven by innovation, we’retransforming thefutureofcancer care. Because every effort, everydiscovery andevery patient matters. It allcounts here. Learn more at ololrmc.com/cancer.
Pavani Ellipeddi, MD,HematologyOncology