Belinda Nichols Cancer Treatment

Belinda Nichols was diagnosed with stage three, triple-negative breast cancer last year. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, this means the cancer tests negative for progesterone receptors, estrogen receptors, and an excess of the HER2 protein. It accounts for 10 to 20 percent of all breast cancers. It is an aggressive cancer, and in Nichols’ case, also inflammatory. Many of the most common treatments, such as hormone therapy, aren’t effective. Most often, triple-negative breast cancer if treated with chemo therapy.

Belinda had to undergo a series of tests and biopsies before her treatment could begin. They also had all of her teeth removed because the doctor said any infection in her teeth would become much worse once the treatments began.

Surgery was not an option for Belinda at first because the tumors were so large. The cancer was not only in the breast, but in the lymph nodes in her breast under her arm and above her collarbone. The size of the tumors had doubled during the weeks of testing and procedures before treatment could begin. The doctor told her if they removed the tumors at that time, it would cause damage to her arm and she would lose the use of that arm.

At first, she was given four treatments two weeks apart at first. Her doctor told her they start out hitting the cancer as hard as they can, and then they would go to weekly treatments. After the initial four-month treatments, she would receive 12 weekly treatments, which are continuing at Ellis Fischel.

Belinda mentioned she would never go through something like this if she didn’t have the open that it would help because cancer treatment is no walk in the park. In fact, when she had her first treatment, Belinda immediately developed pneumonia. She was in Lake Regional Hospital for a week recovering. While in the hospital, Nichols wondered if she was going to have a hospital stay every time after treatment because the pneumonia had hit her so fast.

However, she recovered and prayed the next time would be easier, she said. And she was fortunate not to have any more hospital stays. However, she does suffer from constant nausea and severe fatigue.

After she completes her weekly chemo treatments, her doctor said Belinda will have a month to recover before they would do the surgery.

The next steps after surgery are unclear. She has been told she will most likely have to have radiation treatments. And that will involve her going every day to get the treatments. Although she can go to a hospital closer to her for the radiation, the closest hospitals are an hour away.

Her diagnosis came just three years after she lost her husband, Troy Nichols, to melanoma, which is the most serious type of skin cancer.

Belinda is the daughter of the late Alan and Dorothy Comstock. She graduated from Versailles High School; worked as a bank teller at Mid-Missouri Savings and Loan which later became Citizen’s Bank of Versailles, for 11 years; worked at Camp’s Farm Market in Versailles for 13 years; and served as a Kraft Foods merchandiser stocking their products at Wal-Mart in Versailles for eight years.

Although her medical needs are provided through a women’s health program at the University of Missouri Hospital, she needs help in meeting her day-to-day financial needs.