Sharon Boyer: Cancer Nurse Fights a Well-known Foe 

As a chemotherapy infusion nurse at UMass Memorial, Sharon Boyer has administered treatment to thousands of patients with breast cancer over a 30-year career. When Sharon felt a quarter-size lump in her left breast one evening in November she did not panic because she knew many lumps are not cancerous. After all, she went in for annual mammograms, and the last one six months earlier was unremarkable. But she knew the importance of following up.

The next day, after examining Sharon, Anne Larkin, MD, a surgeon at the Medical Center, performed an aspiration biopsy. The results came back as stage II cancer. "At first I started beating myself up for not finding the lump sooner," said Sharon. Friends reassured her it was not her fault. Meanwhile, a lumpectomy was planned. Chemotherapy and radiation would follow.

"Chemotherapy did not scare me," said Sharon. "I had given chemo to patients for so long, I knew what to expect. But the thought of surgery terrified me. I had not had surgery before, and I was worried about it and the anesthesia."

Sharon's surgery was scheduled days later. Dr Larkin performed a lumpectomy and removed 14 nodes. Only one node came back positive for cancer, an acceptable finding and little reason for concern. Sharon went home the next day, resuming most of her customary activities, and returned to work within a week.

Chemotherapy, administered by her coworkers, began after the holidays in January. She took one round every three weeks. Her first four cycles of chemotherapy made her nauseous and weak. Then another chemotherapy agent, this one more tolerable, was administered every week for 12 weeks. Sharon had no problems handling this. She lost her hair but not her spirit. She wore a wig that mimicked her natural hair, and while she felt a bit fatigued, she got through it fine, finishing chemotherapy in June.

Sharon's radiation therapy went very smoothly. Everyday for eight weeks, beams of radiation were administered for ten minutes, usually in the early hours of the day. After each session, she was able to start her workday.

Now cancer free, Sharon is receiving Herceptin, a therapy for women with breast cancer tumors that have too much of the HER2 protein. By taking this drug, Sharon may have future tumor cell growth blocked. Her hair has grown back, first curly and lighter, now straight and darker. "I truly believe I got the best possible care at UMass Memorial," said Sharon. "Everyone here supported me and they were all accessible to me."

Reflecting on her career, Sharon had always noticed that those patients with positive attitudes always seemed to have the best outcomes. Maybe that is why she did so well. So enthusiastic she has been about her care that Sharon became the subject of a hospital marketing campaign aimed at patient experiences. Billboards, newspaper and radio ads featured Sharon's testimonial, and friends, neighbors and strangers all approached her with words of encouragement and support. "I'm so glad I was part of the campaign," she said. "At first, I was a little shy about doing it, but I'm glad I opened up and told my story. I'm OK and I survived breast cancer."

If you would like to speak with Sharon about the care she received at UMass Memorial, please leave her a voicemail with your name and telephone number at 508-334-5120.