Cervical cancer patient applauds the less aggressive treatment

Billings, Montana – January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Cervical cancer is the deadliest illness for women, but because to more tests and innovative therapies, death rates have been slowly declining since the 1970s.

A cervical cancer survivor claims that a novel treatment has both saved and prolonged her life.

Alese Beckman visited the doctor in June 2020, during the peak of COVID-19, complaining of a swollen and aching leg.

But the mother of three, 34, was about to learn that she had stage four cervical cancer.

Beckman’s cancer began in her collarbone and spread to her pelvis, legs, and the area behind her heart.

Just one day after Alese was diagnosed, her doctor, Dr. Liz Connor, recommended a severe kind of chemotherapy due to the extent of the cancer’s spread.

Beckman’s cancer returned after 18 weeks of seemingly effective chemotherapy, which the patient and doctor believed to be progress.

At that moment, Dr. Connor decided to include a relatively recent therapy in her regimen.

Alese says “Once I started immunotherapy, I got my life back, I could work at the salon, I felt pretty much normal, I was tired in the beginning, but now, I can come get my infusion, then go back to the salon and do hair, I can go to my kids’ games.”

She goes on to say “I don’t miss a beat now. It’s much different than chemo.”

Dr. Connor claims that immunotherapy is administered on a planned basis and that it is currently frequently started in conjunction with chemotherapy.

It aids in the identification of malignant cells, which can typically evade the body’s defenses, by interacting with the patient’s immune system.

Gynecological Oncologist for St. Vincent’s West End Clinic, Dr. Liz Connor says that immunotherapy is “a good representation that we are continuing to learn more about cancer, how to prevent it, how to treat it more effectively and how to focus on quality of life too and make sure that patients living with cancer have an excellent quality of life.”

She continues “that’s always the goals of oncologists and immunotherapy checks all the boxes.”

And Bella, Alese’s oldest daughter, was there to support her mother during the infusions.

She claims that this event motivated her to dedicate her life to supporting those who are facing a cancer diagnosis.

Bella says that “last year we made these things called passion papers, it was just talking about what our passions were and I wrote mine about oncology and my mom’s story. Just wanting to help other people like her, and helping overall people who have cancer and helping them move through it. Whether it’s being a doctor, giving a treatment plan and helping the patient or helping the family, basically a therapist, with my experience I can feel what they are going through and help them through their feelings about it.” Alese has been cancer free now since 2021 and says she’s grateful for her immunotherapy infusions, that she still receives to this day, which help prevent another recurrence.

Enabling her to carry on leading a whole life and to see every significant life event of her children.

Alese and Dr. Connor both emphasize the significance of early cancer screening and keeping your doctor informed of any changes you observe in your body.