From Healthcare Provider to Uterine Cancer Survivor
Chia is a dedicated nurse anesthetist at Moffitt Cancer Center who is passionate about helping patients. In December 2021, she was unexpectedly diagnosed with uterine cancer.
"You can imagine that after I heard the word cancer, and even though I have been in healthcare for over 30 years, everything just went blank," said Chia. "I got in my car and called my husband. After a long silence, I heard him weeping."
She drove home, feeling at a loss.
Chia showed up to work the next day but was unsure of what to do next. She decided to share the news of the cancer diagnosis with her leadership team who were very supportive and provided guidance on the next steps.
Things moved swiftly from there. Soon, Chia met with Dr. Mitchel Hoffman, a gynecologic oncologist in the Gynecologic Oncology Program, for an evaluation. Further testing results indicated that she had early-stage uterine cancer. Two weeks later, she was prepped for surgery.
Dr. Hoffman, a board-certified gynecologic oncologist with 35 years of experience, operated using minimally invasive surgery (MIS). MIS is considered the standard of care for the primary surgical treatment of uterine cancer. MIS has numerous advantages for the patient including faster and more comfortable recovery, a lower complication rate and less postoperative pain compared to open surgery.
"MIS works well with sentinel lymph node mapping, allowing for both more precise and less extensive lymph node removal. And if the patients need additional treatment, the faster recovery allows this to happen in a timely manner," said Dr. Hoffman, who is also recognized by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology with Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Focused Practice Designation. "Not all patients with uterine cancer are treated with MIS. Some of the reasons could be lack of training or comfort by the surgeon, the disease is too advanced, the uterus being too big, or the patient being unable to tolerate Trendelenburg, which is a steep head down position during surgery."
The surgery, which took about two hours, was an outpatient procedure and Chia was home within a few hours post-surgery. The pain was minimal, so she didn’t need to take any pain medications.
Chia was back to work within two weeks of the procedure. She contributed to her speedy recovery by exercising.
"I do spin classes five to six days a week and practice yoga three to four days a week. I did that before surgery and I was back to my normal exercise routine six weeks after the surgery," said Chia. "I think if I had not had the MIS surgery, this would not have been possible because the recovery process would have taken much longer and been more painful."
It’s been over a year since the surgery. Chia is healthy and enjoying life with her family.
"Through this journey as a cancer patient, I’m now a better provider as I understand what the patient goes through with cancer diagnoses each day," she said.
At Moffitt, our patients have full access to a multispecialty team of experts in a single location. Our experts include fellowship-trained surgeons, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, fertility preservation specialists, social workers and supportive care providers—all of whom work together to create individualized treatment plans. This team of experts also meets regularly for tumor board reviews to evaluate each patient’s treatment options to ensure the best possible care. To request an appointment, please call 1-888-663-3488 or fill out our new patient registration form.
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