The Mayo Clinic experience and patient stories Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care like they've never experienced. See the stories of satisfied Mayo Clinic patients. Living beyond diagnosis: Angela's 30-year journey with ependymoma cancerChris and Angela Bristow stand beside their daughter Ayla At just 19, Angela Bristow's life took an unimaginable turn. A college student with her future ahead of her, she was thrust into a world of MRIs, surgeries and grueling treatments when diagnosed with ependymoma, a cancer that typically affects the brain and spine. In her case, however, the tumor was located near her coccyx — an exceptionally rare location for this type of cancer."I'll never… Cheryl Robinson volunteering on the same floor where her husband received cancer careCheryl Robinson volunteering in Florida. Blink and you'll miss Cheryl Robinson going in and out of rooms and preparing each for patients. Her speed is matched by her dedication as a volunteer and the compassion shown toward those seeking care on the Hematology/Oncology floor in Florida. A former commercial insurance professional, Cheryl’s journey took a heartfelt turn when she became a caregiver to her husband, Jim Robinson. Their love story, rooted in shared struggles and… How a different mammogram experience led to lifesaving cancer diagnosisMelissa Neuman dreaded getting mammograms. Her small, dense breasts made the screening exceptionally uncomfortable and painful. So Melissa put off getting an annual mammogram until she felt she couldn't delay any longer. For about five years, Melissa had been plagued with a nagging pain just under her left breast. In February 2023, a recommendation from a friend led her to seek care from Jessica Johnson, an OB-GYN nurse practitioner with Mayo Clinic Health System in Owatonna, Minnesota. "She took me seriously,… A tale worth hearingCarole Reisinger and husband Rick Carole Reisinger’s body was telling a story that nobody would ever want to hear. "It started last February when I was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Thanks to the medical staff at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, five days later, I had a 9-by-5-centimeter tumor removed," says Carole Reisinger. But it was during that surgery, the second story was about to be told. "In the process of that surgery, the surgeons noticed… Sally Blackwell 'no longer on the sidelines' after life-changing surgery for rectal cancerSally Blackwell with her husband, Christopher Blackwell. Sally Blackwell was pregnant with her second child when she began noticing symptoms she initially brushed off as nothing. She was experiencing constipation. She wasn't gaining weight during the pregnancy. She figured the lack of weight gain had to be because she wasn't doing the daily Chick-fil-A runs she did during her first pregnancy. It wasn't until after her daughter was born in May 2021 that the symptoms became… FISH testing helps detect unseen cancer cellsOn the brink of losing her battle with acute myeloid leukemia, Shannon Camlek arrived at Mayo Clinic as a last hope. Her chances didn’t look good, but with the help of specialized genetic testing, particularly FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) studies, doctors were able to detect the specific gene mutations responsible for her symptoms and disease. The test results also helped Shannon’s care team target her treatment accordingly, and finally put an end to what… 'I'll be there for my daughters,' Florida woman's pledge while navigating cancerLorie Kirkman with her husband and three daughters. Lorie Kirkman embraces a lifestyle of being on the move. The 38-year-old is a wife and mom to three young daughters who are active in their Northeast Florida community and have a passion for being outdoors. After working out at her gym one day, Lorie began to feel pain in her back and shoulder. When it became uncomfortable to sit or lay down, and she noticed exhaustion… Goldilocks surgery: Finding the perfect balance in breast cancer reconstructionKathleen Stewart was used to waiting for test results. She'd been called back for additional mammogram images many times and had already undergone two biopsies of suspicious areas in her breasts. In March 2022, as she waited for a call about the results of a breast biopsy, the resident of La Crosse, Wisconsin, felt she already knew what they would be. "I had already had that internal conversation that if I was diagnosed, I knew… Request an appointment ResearchCosts & insurance Dec. 24, 2024 Share on: FacebookTwitter Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, have been recognized among the top Cancer hospitals in the nation for 2024-2025 by U.S. News & World Report. Learn more about this top honor Oncology (Medical)DepartmenthomeSectionsOverviewConditions treatedDoctorsSpecialty groupsExpertise & rankingsClinical trialsResearchPatient storiesCosts & insuranceNews from Mayo ClinicReferrals SectionsRequest an AppointmentOverviewConditions treatedDoctorsSpecialty groupsExpertise & rankingsClinical trialsResearchPatient storiesCosts & insuranceNews from Mayo ClinicReferrals ORG-20180179 Medical Departments & Centers Oncology (Medical)