Amy's Story
You have cancer...
In October 2013 Amy Reed, a physician and mother of six underwent surgery for what her doctors believed were uterine fibroids. Eight days later she received a call no one ever wants to get. "The pathology came back- you have cancer." Amy was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma just a year after the birth of her youngest child. This cancer, which can masquerade as a fibroid, is aggressive, and often resistant to common cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. Because her surgeon thought she had a simple fibroid, she cut up the cancer inside of Amy using a tool called a morcellator. This spreads the cancer, and for many women significantly worsens their outcomes.
In order to counter the effect of morcellation, Amy underwent a drastic operation called cytoreduction and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). She was in the hospital for two weeks, missing Thanksgiving with her children, and developed a blood clot in her lungs. The surgery was followed with chemotherapy. In the two years that followed, she had multiple recurrences which required surgery and radiation.
During that time, Amy and her husband (Dr. Hooman Noorchashm) fought to end the practice of morcellation, a horrific medical practice that OBGYN's have been doing for over 20 years. Dozens of women and family members who have also fallen victim to morcellation have come forward. Many have died. Their campaign received a lot of national and international recognition from the media.
Dr. Amy Reed with her husband Dr. Hooman Noorchashm
“Because her surgeon thought she had a simple fibroid, she cut up the cancer inside of Amy using a tool called a morcellator. This spreads the cancer, and for many women significantly worsens their outcomes.”
While continuing to face the hurdles of standard sarcoma treatments, they continued to push for safer devices at the level of the FDA and Congress as well as taking the fight to the lab. Sadly, on May 24, 2017, Amy lost her battle to leiomyosarcoma. While she is no longer here with us, we will continue the courageous fight she started. So please, join us if you can this October and support us in our efforts to Slay Sarcoma by registering for the Annual Slay Sarcoma 5K Run/Walk or consider donating as we partner with the University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center to help us battle this deadly disease. The proceeds raised by the annual Slay Sarcoma 5K Walk/Run go entirely to funding LMS research. Your support is sorely needed if we are going to find a cure.
