Media Contacts: Sandra Van or Norise Jastillana
[email protected] or [email protected]
1-800-396-1002 ext. 51 or 102
LOS ANGELES (May 25, 2000) -- Laura Salan Danan is a survivor. Just 23 and a medical student, Laura was startled to discover a few lumps on her right breast in 1998. She waited a month before seeking medical advice, thinking the abnormality might be linked to her menstrual cycle. When Laura did see her doctor, the diagnosis was disturbing. The California native was facing a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer--and headed on a life-altering journey that would lead her from school and treatment in the Philippines to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Once diagnosed with stage 4 cancer--and with little hope of recovery--Laura is now in complete remission.
Throughout America, patients like Laura are recognized each year during the first week of June as part of National Cancer Survivors Day. The idea started when cancer survivor Richard Bloch (co-founder of H&R Block) and his wife decided to hold a rally to demonstrate that a diagnosis of cancer is not an automatic death sentence. The idea caught on, and now the event is an annual, national observance.
When Laura was diagnosed in July 1998, she had no family history of breast cancer and lived a healthful lifestyle that would seem to preclude such a disease. "It was quite shocking," she says of her diagnosis. "Being a medical student, I tried to intellectualize it. But as I learned more about the disease, it was frightening. I was particularly worried about my parents. I didn't want them to have to go through this."
Laura underwent a modified radical mastectomy to remove the malignant tumor and affected lymph nodes and completed chemotherapy in the Philippines, where she was a second-year medical student. Laura, who once worked alongside Mother Theresa in the slums of Los Angeles, had long been inspired to help the needy. Of Filipino ancestry, she felt a special concern for the medically underserved in the Philippines, where she hopes to serve as a missionary doctor.
Following her mastectomy, the cancer went into remission and Laura continued her studies, but the disease returned a few months later, now invading her vertebrae. "The treatment options were limited in the Philippines, so I opted to come to the U.S. for care," she recalls. A network of referrals led her to Cedars-Sinai oncologist Edward Wolin, M.D.
"I talked with Dr. Wolin on the phone, and trusted him immediately," recalls Laura, acknowledging that many doctors were reluctant to take her case, at that point considered terminal. "I was on a plane to California the next day."
In September 1999, Laura began her treatment at Cedars-Sinai--a combination of aggressive therapies that included high doses of chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation and intensive radiation, which she completed in March 2000.
"I treated her in a very intensive and fairly unique fashion," says Dr. Wolin, who attributes Laura's recovery in large part to her indomitable spirit. "When we first met, Laura had already spoken to many oncologists and done a lot of research. She felt it was likely she wouldn't survive without a miracle, but Laura refused to be depressed. She's an extraordinary individual with a remarkable spirit."
Recovering at her parents' home in the Los Angeles area, Laura is anxious to return to school, but is cautious about pushing herself too hard too soon. "My energy is coming up, and my hair is growing out. I feel so great now--no words can really say." She is continuing on maintenance therapy to suppress estrogen levels, and will closely monitor her health through ongoing examinations, X-rays and blood work.
The 25-year-old is also making the transition from being a patient to normal living, she says. "It's frustrating a times because it can seem so slow, but you have no choice but to be patient."
In the meantime, Laura keeps busy with yoga, hiking and walks with her new dog, Ruby, an abandoned mixed terrier that was facing an uncertain future. "I saved Ruby's life, and he saved mine," she says with affection.
Laura has endless praise for the physician she attributes with saving her life.
"Dr. Wolin was just a Godsend--I essentially owe him my life. He wasn't afraid to take the road less traveled. Most doctors don't want to work with a stage 4 patient, but he believed in me. That's why I adore him. He's my mentor, and if I could follow in his shadow it would be an honor."
Dr. Wolin, who is "very encouraged" about Laura's prognosis, heaps similar praise on his special patient. "Laura's attitude is so extraordinary--she's an inspiration to her doctors, the staff and other patients. She picks everybody up, giving them hope and encouragement even in her darkest hours. She's truly an altruistic person."
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