Woman Credits Positive Outlook as Help in Cancer Struggle

Patient Stories

Leanne Liljedahl

Leanne Liljedahl quit smoking January 10, 2008. Eight days later, she was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Leanne Liljedahl

“I went into a lot of denial. I was completely blown away. It was my worst nightmare. My first thought was I’m going to be dead in six months,” said Liljedahl, 65. “Anyone I knew who had lung cancer was dead within six months.”

The Barron woman has under gone three rounds of chemotherapy since learning she had stage 4 cancer, the most advanced, in both lungs.

More importantly, she has plans to meet her first great-granddaughter. Brooklyn Martin was born May 15, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona.

Her doctor, Michael Husak, M.D., oncologist/hematologist at Marshfield Clinic Rice Lake Center, told her in 2008 that without chemotherapy, she may live six to 12 months. With chemotherapy, she could expect another a year or two and better quality of life. “I said, ‘that’s not enough for me,’” Liljedahl said.

She credits a positive attitude with helping her beat those odds. “I’ve always been that way, it’s just me. No matter what happens, something will come up to make it better.”

“She’s done extremely well, better than average,” Dr. Husak said. Her cancer was too advanced at diagnosis to surgically remove it. Chemotherapy helps shrink, slow or stop the growth of tumors.

Stage 4 lung cancer

“With stage 4 lung cancer, cure is possible but rare -- less than 10 percent,” Dr. Husak said. “It’s become a more treatable disease. There’s been progress in both quality of life and prolongation of life. With newer drugs that are better and less toxic, we can do both (extend life and improve quality).”

Liljedahl began treatment in February 2008, receiving chemotherapy every three weeks for six months. She tolerated it well. Anti-nausea medication for the chemo also helped her stomach the Chantix she was taking as a stop-smoking aid. “I’ve flown through treatment. If you’re feeling good, it’s easy to be positive.”

The cancer was stabilized, but began increasing again by January 2009. She opted for chemo in pill form, erlotinib (Tarceva). “It was vanity, I didn’t want to lose my hair,” she said. But she became very ill from the treatment. “I spent 30 days on the toilet. I kept my hair, but it took me months to recover.” Her most recent round of chemo was completed in January 2010.

“The nursing staff in Oncology is amazing. They’re all just wonderful women. With that kind of support, they made it so easy, it was almost pleasant, if chemo can be considered pleasant,” Liljedahl said.

She is now on maintenance therapy, having a single dose of chemotherapy each month. “I generally feel really good, sometimes I don’t even feel sick. It’s no big deal compared to some people’s experience,” she said.

Rice Lake Center

The new Rice Lake Center opened in April 2008 with expanded capabilities to diagnose and treat cancer, including a CT/PET scanner, which accurately determines the stage of cancer. Tests, known as tumor markers, now are available to identify which therapies are most likely to work with individual patients, Dr. Husak said.

Cancer treatment requires multispecialty care, he noted. “It involves surgery, radiation therapy, medical oncology. We take a team approach to lung cancer,” he said.

“With Leanne in particular, she’s able to lead a pretty good quality of life. Besides extending life, it’s a better quality of life. She travels several times a year. She’s enjoying her life as if she doesn’t have lung cancer. She doesn’t let chemo slow her down.”

Liljedahl is looking forward to having a small vegetable garden and learning more about perennial gardening in Wisconsin. (In California, where she lived half of her life, “things just keep growing.”) She’s enjoyed the rooftop Healing Garden at the Rice Lake Center, which was built and planted entirely with donations from the community and staff. “I was really happy when they put in the garden,” she said.

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