When Katie Asch noticed a small lump under her arm in February 2001, she promptly tucked her awareness into a corner of her consciousness. But one morning, she awoke to find the lump had suddenly grown so large, it demanded her attention. That week, Katie was diagnosed with breast cancer and informed she would need an immediate radical mastectomy. “I didn’t really have time to feel fear,” recalls Katie.
“I simply knew what I had to do.” Part of that was doing her best to maintain a sense of normalcy for her family, particularly for her young son, Leland. Devoted to being an at-home mother, she steered her focus to maintaining routine in their daily lives.
After her mastectomy, her oncologist suggested that Katie consider an autologous stem cell transplant (HCT) as
her best chance for long-term survival. “I felt that I was young and needed to do whatever I could to increase my chances for a long life,” says Katie. “The minute I came to City of Hope and met Stephen Forman, M.D., I trusted that having the HCT was the right decision for me and that he was the right doctor.”
In June 2001, Katie underwent her HCT, the hardest part of which was worrying about being away from her son. Fortunately, her husband Rob, a movie industry executive, stepped into the void. “My main concern was that he take care of our son,” says Katie, “and he was great. He was a rock of support for both of us.”
While the intensity of the chemotherapy and the HCT was difficult, the kindness and sensitivity of the staff at
City of Hope, as well as the community of other patients made a difference. “I discovered great humanity alongside the intense, medical procedures,” says Katie.
Three years after treatment, Katie reflects on a simple joy: life goes on. When she was diagnosed with cancer, her son had been her life. “Now he’s thirteen and never home!” she laughs. For the first time since becoming a mother, Katie is working and developing her talents as a copywriter in the film industry. “I love it,” says Katie, adding, “I have a new life.”