My Friend Had the Same Cancer I Did- Tumor Testing & Targeted Therapy
- Deborah Ann Martin
- 1 day ago
- 16 min read
Why I Believe Cancer Patients Should Ask About Genetic and Tumor Testing Early
When my doctor asked whether I would like to speak with another patient, I said yes.
Her name was Tina.
Tina had uterine leiomyosarcoma, the same rare cancer I had.
She was seeing the same cancer doctor, and she was only a few weeks ahead of me in treatment.
At first, I thought I was simply going to meet someone who could tell me what chemotherapy was like.
I did not know that Tina would become one of the people who helped me prepare for my own treatment—and that her death would later leave me with a question I still cannot answer:
What if we had known more about her cancer earlier?
I cannot say that earlier testing would have saved Tina.
I cannot say that a targeted treatment would have worked.
But her story changed the way I think about genetic testing, tumor testing, and the importance of asking questions before another treatment option is urgently needed.
Tina Was Just a Little Ahead of Me
By the time Tina and I began talking, she had already completed her surgery and had started her chemotherapy.
I was preparing for my first surgery.
She could tell me what was happening at the cancer center because she was receiving care there too. She knew our doctor, the routines, the waiting, and the fear.
She could tell me when her hair began falling out.
She could describe the side effects she was experiencing.
She could share what she brought to chemotherapy and what helped her get through the day.
She did not have all the answers.
She had current experience.
That was exactly what I needed.
We Had the Same Cancer, but We Did Not Have the Same Journey
Tina and I both had uterine leiomyosarcoma.
That did not make our cancer stories identical.
My visible disease included three large tumors in my abdomen and another tumor on my back. I needed separate operations by different surgeons.
Tina's cancer had affected her colon. Part of the colon had to be removed, and she came out of surgery with a colostomy.
The plan was that the colostomy might later be reversed, but first she had to heal and continue cancer treatment.
Even when two people share the same diagnosis, the cancer may be located in different places, behave differently, respond differently, and create different surgical needs.
The words on the pathology report may match.
The bodies carrying the cancer do not.
My Doctor Had Warned Me That Surgery Could Reveal More
Before my abdominal operation, my doctor explained that imaging could show the tumors they already knew about, but the surgeons would not fully understand everything until they opened my abdomen.
They knew they could remove the three large masses.
They did not know whether smaller areas of cancer would be attached to my colon or found in other locations.
That uncertainty frightened me.
A scan provides important information, but surgeons sometimes discover additional disease, scar tissue, organ involvement, or other complications during an operation.
Tina's experience showed me why my doctor had been careful not to promise that the surgery would be simple.
I Thought of Treatment as Cleaning Up Mud
I grew up around farms, so I used a farm-style comparison to make sense of cancer treatment.
Imagine that someone walks into a house with a large clump of mud stuck to a boot.
First, you pick up and remove the large clump.
That is the visible tumor the surgeon can take out.
But removing the clump does not leave the floor clean.
Mud remains in the cracks.
Dirty water spreads across the floor.
You mop once, but the water is still brown.
You mop again.
You keep cleaning until you have removed as much of the residue as possible.
That was how I pictured surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and other cancer treatments.
Surgery removed the large pieces the doctors could see.
Chemotherapy and other treatments were intended to address cancer cells or disease that might remain elsewhere.
The comparison helped me understand the plan, and help explain it to family in a way that is simplified. Some didn't understand that if you removed all the tumor and clear margins, why would you need to do chemo or radiation in that area. This was the best everyday-life scenario that might simplify a complex process.
Chemotherapy does not necessarily eliminate every remaining cancer cell, and its purpose differs according to the cancer type, stage, tumor biology, and treatment plan.
Cancer treatment has to be individualized.
Tina Gave Me Something Older Survivors Could Not
Kim and Tammy showed me that people could survive.
Tina gave me companionship in the present.
She knew what it felt like to wake up that morning and face another cancer appointment.
She knew what it felt like to look at a surgical wound that had not fully healed.
She knew the fear of wondering whether treatment was working.
She knew the side effects before I experienced them because she was only a few steps ahead.
Some support comes from people who have already reached the other side.
Another kind comes from someone standing beside you in the same storm.
Both forms matter.
This Is Why Shared Support Matters
When I talk about building groups through Surviving Life Lessons, I am not imagining a community where one person stands at the front pretending to have every answer.
I am imagining people at different points on the same road.
Someone may have survived an illness twenty years ago.
Someone else may have completed treatment last year.
Another person may be waiting for surgery next week.
Someone may be sitting in the infusion chair at the same time you are.
The person who finished treatment years earlier can offer perspective.
The person beside you can say:
"I am hurting today too."
There is comfort in not having to explain every emotion because the other person is living through something similar.
A Survivor Had Encouraged Me to Ask About Testing
Before chemotherapy, another leiomyosarcoma survivor had encouraged me to ask about testing.
He recommended that I discuss both inherited genetic testing and testing of the tumor itself.
Those are not the same type of test.
Inherited, or germline, testing generally uses blood or saliva to look for genetic changes a person was born with. Those results may have implications for the person's cancer risk and, in some situations, for biological relatives.
Tumor biomarker testing examines the cancer for genes, proteins, receptors, or other features that may help doctors understand the tumor or consider certain treatments.
The National Cancer Institute explains that tumor biomarker testing and inherited genetic testing answer different questions. Tumor testing looks for changes in the cancer, while inherited testing looks for genetic changes a person may have been born with.
I pursued the testing.
I also shared what I had learned with Tina.
I Encouraged Tina to Ask About Testing Too
I asked Tina whether she would consider genetic and tumor testing.
My purpose was not to tell her how to manage her cancer.
I wanted her doctors to have as much information as possible.
Tina followed our doctor's treatment plan closely.
She trusted the doctor and did what she was told.
There is nothing wrong with trusting a doctor.
Patients should be able to rely on medical professionals.
I had become the type of patient who researched, asked additional questions, and looked for information outside the standard appointment.
Tina's approach was different.
Neither of us knew how our stories would end.
We Both Received Doxorubicin
Tina and I both received doxorubicin as part of our cancer treatment.
Doxorubicin is a chemotherapy drug used for several cancers, including certain sarcomas. Like other chemotherapy medicines, it can cause serious side effects, and treatment requires medical monitoring.
After treatment, our scans showed no visible evidence of cancer.
That was the news we had hoped for.
The large tumors had been removed.
Chemotherapy had been completed.
The imaging did not show active disease.
For a time, both of us appeared to be in the same place.
A Clear Scan Does Not Always Mean the Risk Is Gone
A scan showing no visible cancer is worth celebrating.
It does not always mean that every cancer cell is gone or that the disease can never return.
Imaging has limits. Microscopic disease may be too small to appear, and some cancers can recur after an apparently clear scan.
That uncertainty is why cancer survivors often continue with follow-up appointments, examinations, laboratory testing, and imaging.
It is also why the time after treatment can be emotionally confusing.
Everyone expects you to celebrate.
Part of you is still waiting for the next scan.
Our Paths Changed After Chemotherapy
After my initial treatment, I wanted to discuss whether there was anything else that might help prevent or delay the cancer's return.
I knew nothing could guarantee that it would stay away.
I was looking for another layer of protection.
My tumor testing gave my doctors additional information to consider. Over time, that information became part of the discussion about targeted and hormone-based treatment.
Tina's plan was to watch and wait.
Her doctor would monitor her and respond if the cancer returned.
Watchful monitoring is not the same as receiving no medical care. In many cancer situations, doctors must weigh the potential benefit of additional treatment against side effects, limited evidence, the patient's condition, and what is known about that particular cancer.
For Tina, the cancer returned.
Three Months Later, Tina's Cancer Had Spread
At a later scan, Tina learned that the cancer had returned and spread.
By then, the situation was different.
The doctors began looking for additional treatment possibilities.
She then received testing that identified the same treatment-related tumor finding that had been found in my cancer.
I want to be careful with the wording.
I do not have Tina's entire molecular report, so I cannot responsibly say that our tumors had the exact same complete genetic makeup.
Tumors contain many characteristics.
What I understood was that her later testing identified the same relevant marker or alteration that had helped guide part of my treatment planning.
That distinction matters.
A tumor can share one relevant biomarker with another tumor without being genetically identical in every other way.
Tumor Testing and Targeted Therapy Has Possibilities, Not Promises
Biomarker testing may show that a tumor has a feature connected to an existing treatment.
It may also produce no useful treatment match.
Sometimes a matching drug exists but is not approved for that particular cancer.
Sometimes a clinical trial may be available.
Sometimes the patient cannot safely receive the treatment.
Sometimes the treatment is tried and does not work.
The National Cancer Institute explains that biomarker testing can help some patients identify treatments or clinical trials, but it does not help everyone. A test may find no actionable biomarker, there may not be an available treatment, or a treatment may not work even when a matching biomarker is found.
Testing gives information. It adds one more piece of knowledge for doctors to give individualized treatments instead of standard treatments or when standard treatments aren't working.
Tumor testing and targeted therapy do not give certainty. Just another option for doctors and patients to choose.
Different Bodies Can Respond Differently to the Same Treatment
Two patients may have:
The same cancer name
The same stage
The same doctor
The same tumor marker
The same medication
They may still have different results.
Treatment response can be influenced by:
Where the cancer has spread
How much cancer is present
Earlier surgeries
Earlier chemotherapy
Tumor biology
Age
Heart function
Liver and kidney function
Blood counts
Other medications
Other illnesses
Previous blood clots
The body's ability to tolerate treatment
Differences that medicine does not yet understand
Precision medicine is not the ability to predict everything.
It is an attempt to make treatment decisions with more specific information about the patient and the cancer.
The National Cancer Institute notes that even people with the same type of cancer may have different biomarker patterns, and those differences can affect which treatments may work.
Tina Developed a Blood Clot
During the later part of Tina's treatment, she developed a blood clot.
Cancer itself increases the risk of dangerous blood clots. Surgery, hospitalization, chemotherapy, hormone treatment, limited movement, and venous catheters can add to that risk.
I cannot say from my personal knowledge exactly what caused Tina's clot.
It would be inaccurate to claim that one particular medication was solely responsible without complete medical documentation.
Cancer patients often have several overlapping risk factors.
What I know is that the blood clot became another serious complication during an already difficult fight.
Tina Died
Ultimately, Tina died.
Even now, saying that hurts.
She had been only a little ahead of me.
She had prepared me for chemotherapy.
She had told me what happened when her hair fell out.
She had described the side effects while I was waiting to experience them myself.
We had the same rare cancer.
We had the same doctor.
We walked through part of treatment together.
Then my life continued, and hers did not.
The Question I Cannot Answer
A part of me still asks:
"What if Tina had received the testing earlier?"
Would her doctors have considered the same type of treatment sooner?
Would it have slowed the cancer?
Would she have received another option before the disease returned?
Would she still be alive?
I cannot answer those questions.
No doctor can go backward and test a different timeline.
Earlier testing may have changed the discussion without changing the outcome.
A targeted treatment may not have been appropriate at that time.
It may not have worked for her.
She may have experienced a complication that prevented its use.
Her cancer may have behaved differently from mine even with the same relevant marker.
I cannot truthfully say that earlier testing would have saved Tina.
I can say that I wish her doctors had possessed every useful piece of information as early as reasonably appropriate for her cancer and treatment situation.
My Grief Became Part of My Advocacy
Tina's death strengthened my belief that patients with rare or advanced cancers should feel able to ask:
Is inherited genetic testing appropriate for me?
Has my tumor been tested for biomarkers?
Is enough tissue available?
Could testing affect treatment now?
Could it help if the cancer returns?
Could it identify a clinical trial?
Should testing happen before we need another option?
Would a sarcoma specialist interpret the results differently?
Should the tumor be retested later?
Could a tumor finding suggest an inherited risk?
Asking does not require the doctor to order every possible test.
It begins a conversation.
Germline and Tumor Testing Answer Different Questions
Inherited Genetic Testing
Inherited testing looks for genetic changes a person may have been born with.
It may help answer questions such as:
Is there an inherited cancer-risk condition?
Could this result affect my future screening?
Could biological relatives be at risk?
Should family members consider counseling or testing?
A genetic counselor or qualified healthcare professional can help patients understand what a positive, negative, or uncertain result means.
The National Cancer Institute explains that inherited genetic testing is different from tumor genetic testing and that tumor testing does not replace testing for inherited cancer risk.
Tumor Biomarker Testing
Tumor testing studies the cancer itself.
It may examine:
Gene mutations
Gene fusions
Proteins
Hormone receptors
Patterns of gene activity
Other molecular features
The findings may help doctors assess whether a particular targeted treatment, immunotherapy, or clinical trial should be considered.
Biomarker testing is sometimes also called tumor testing, tumor profiling, genomic testing, molecular testing, or molecular profiling.
One form of testing does not automatically replace the other.
Not Every Patient Needs the Same Test
Testing recommendations vary.
The appropriate plan may depend on:
Cancer type
Stage
Whether the cancer has returned or spread
Family history
Age at diagnosis
Available tumor tissue
Current treatment options
Clinical trials
Professional guidelines
Insurance coverage
The patient's preferences
A broad tumor panel may be useful in one situation and unnecessary in another.
An inherited genetic test may provide important family information but reveal nothing that changes the immediate cancer treatment.
The goal is not testing for the sake of collecting reports.
The goal is obtaining information that could meaningfully support care.
The National Cancer Institute notes that biomarker testing is commonly considered in advanced cancers and is routinely used to guide treatment in certain cancers. Whether it is appropriate at diagnosis or at another point in treatment depends on the individual cancer and clinical situation.
A Test Result Must Be Interpreted
A report may include terms such as:
Pathogenic variant
Likely pathogenic variant
Variant of uncertain significance
Amplification
Fusion
Overexpression
Positive receptor status
Negative receptor status
Actionable alteration
No actionable alteration
Those phrases can be confusing.
A variant of uncertain significance does not automatically mean that a harmful inherited mutation has been found.
A tumor alteration does not necessarily mean it was inherited.
A biomarker does not guarantee that a drug will work.
Patients need a qualified professional to explain:
What the result means
What it does not mean
Whether it affects current treatment
Whether it affects relatives
Whether another test is needed
Whether the finding may matter later
Keep the Complete Reports
Patients should request copies of:
The original pathology report
Any specialist pathology review
The inherited genetic test
The tumor biomarker report
Hormone-receptor results
Molecular profiling
Relevant laboratory reports
The oncologist's interpretation
Insurance approvals or denials
A result that does not change treatment today may become relevant later as research, drug approvals, and clinical trials change.
Keep the full report, not only a portal message saying that testing was "positive" or "negative."
Ask About Blood-Clot Risk Too
Because Tina developed a blood clot, her story also reminds me that treatment choices involve more than attacking cancer.
Patients should ask:
Does my cancer increase my risk for blood clots?
Does this treatment add to that risk?
Does my recent surgery affect the risk?
Does my port or catheter matter?
Should I take preventive medication?
Which symptoms require emergency care?
What should I do if one leg swells?
What does a pulmonary embolism feel like?
Possible warning signs of a deep-vein blood clot include swelling, pain, tenderness, warmth, or redness, often in an arm or leg.
A clot that travels to the lungs may cause sudden breathing difficulty, chest pain, coughing blood, or a rapid or irregular heartbeat. These symptoms require urgent medical attention.
Cancer and its treatment can increase blood-clot risk, and the CDC identifies cancer, surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, hospitalization, and central venous catheters among factors that can contribute to that risk.
What I Wish I Could Tell Tina
I would tell her that she mattered to me.
I would tell her that she helped prepare me for one of the most frightening treatments of my life.
I would tell her that when I speak about testing, part of my urgency comes from carrying her story.
I would tell her I am sorry that our paths separated.
I would tell her that I still wonder.
I would also tell her that I will not turn those unanswered questions into a promise that medicine cannot make.
Her life deserves more honesty than that.
What Tina Taught Me
Tina taught me that two people can share a diagnosis without sharing the same outcome.
She taught me the value of someone who is walking through treatment at the same time.
She taught me that a clear scan can bring hope without removing every risk.
She taught me that cancer treatment is not one-size-fits-all.
She taught me that a doctor needs information about both the tumor and the person carrying it.
She taught me to encourage questions before another treatment option is urgently needed.
Most of all, she taught me that shared knowledge can become part of another person's survival story, even when the person who shared it does not survive.
Hope for Today
Testing does not guarantee a cure.
Targeted therapy does not work for everyone.
Following every medical instruction does not guarantee that cancer will stay away.
Researching every option does not give a patient control over the outcome.
Cancer is not fair enough to reward one person simply because she asked more questions.
But information still matters.
Every accurate report is another piece of the puzzle.
Family history is a piece.
Medical history is a piece.
Pathology is a piece.
Tumor testing is a piece.
Inherited testing is a piece.
How the patient responded to earlier treatment is a piece.
The condition of the heart, liver, kidneys, blood, and lungs is a piece.
The more accurate pieces doctors have, the better prepared they may be to discuss reasonable options.
That is why I tell patients to ask early.
Not because a test will certainly save them.
Because a question asked today may reveal information the medical team needs tomorrow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does genetic testing tell doctors which cancer treatment to use?
Sometimes, but the phrase "genetic testing" can refer to different tests.Inherited testing may identify a cancer-risk condition, while tumor biomarker testing may reveal features that help guide treatment.Results must be interpreted with the patient's complete medical situation.
Is tumor testing only useful after cancer returns?
Not always.The appropriate timing depends on the cancer, stage, available treatments, and professional recommendations.The National Cancer Institute explains that biomarker testing is commonly considered for advanced cancer and is routinely used to select treatment in certain cancers. The appropriate timing for a particular patient should be discussed with the oncology team.
Does a matching biomarker guarantee that targeted therapy will work?
No.A treatment may not be available, appropriate, tolerable, or effective even when the tumor contains the target.The National Cancer Institute specifically notes that a matching biomarker does not guarantee that the treatment will work.
Can two people with the same cancer and biomarker respond differently?
Yes.Their disease extent, prior treatment, organ function, medical history, other tumor features, and individual biology can influence response and side effects.
Can tumor testing identify an inherited condition?
A tumor result may sometimes suggest that an alteration could be inherited.Separate blood or saliva testing is generally needed to determine whether a genetic change is actually germline.Tumor testing and inherited genetic testing answer different questions.
Should family members be tested when a patient has cancer?
Not automatically. Family testing may be appropriate when inherited testing identifies a harmful germline change or when a genetics professional recommends it based on personal and family history.
Are people with cancer at greater risk for blood clots?
Yes. Cancer and treatments such as surgery, hospitalization, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and venous catheters can increase risk. Patients should ask their healthcare team about their individual risk and which symptoms require immediate medical attention.
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References
National Cancer Institute. “Biomarker Testing for Cancer Treatment.”
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/biomarker-testing-cancer-treatment
National Cancer Institute. “Genetic Testing Fact Sheet.”
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/genetic-testing-fact-sheet
National Cancer Institute. “The Genetics of Cancer.”
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics
National Cancer Institute. “Targeted Therapy for Cancer.”
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/targeted-therapies
National Cancer Institute. “Tumor Markers.”
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/diagnosis/tumor-markers-fact-sheet
National Cancer Institute. “Molecular Diagnostics for Cancer Treatment: Completing the Picture.”
https://www.cancer.gov/molecular-diagnostics-for-cancer-treatment-infographic
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Cancer and Blood Clots.”
About the Author:
Deborah Ann Martin is the founder of Surviving Life Lessons, a published author, poet, speaker, and trainer with over 20 years of management experience across multiple industries. An MBA graduate, U.S. veteran, single mother, and rare cancer survivor, Deborah brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her writing on resilience, leadership, personal growth, and overcoming adversity. Her mission is to empower others with practical wisdom and real-life insight to navigate life’s challenges with strength and purpose.
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