Carol Lareau

Carol Lareau is a member of the Cancer Fighter program at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Like so many out there, she remains active. She has taken her story on the Cancer Fighter seminar circuit to help others who need to know they are not alone.

In October 2001, at the age of 42, her initial mammogram showed a suspicious mass. In a community the size of Beaverville, Illinois, talking with people in town—including doctors—often takes on a familial tone.

"I got a call two days later from the nurse. She said 'Carol, we think you have cancer. You need to see a surgeon. We need to have that name now,'" Carol recalls.

Carol wanted to think awhile, but the nurse told her she was pretty sure she had the cancer for five to 10 years, and it was crucial to move quickly. She had one hour to supply a name. So, Carol called her insurance company and got the name of a surgeon in Kankakee, Illinois.

Problems ensued with lost records and long waits for appointments. She was very uncomfortable with the direction her treatment approach appeared to be taking, so she came to Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

After seeing what her mother experienced when she died of cancer, Carol is a strong believer in fractionating the dosage of chemotherapy. She improved her nausea by taking B-complex vitamins, which had relieved her morning sickness during her five pregnancies. With these measures, side effects to treatment were minimal.

Today, she is cancer free. She even got her current job because her employer was impressed by her energy during cancer treatment. She has a story to tell and she is telling it.

"I have been treated wonderfully here," she says. "My general practitioner physician is amazed with my health and what I tell about where I was treated. People can’t believe I was even being treated for cancer."

Breast Cancer