• Cancer Patient Stories

    Arizona Mom Recounts Battling Breast Cancer While Pregnant

Joan Dymand-Hintz was in her early 40's when she became pregnant with her daughter. The happiness she and her husband Marc Hintz felt was short-lived. A week after learning she was pregnant, Joan, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based singer and mother of two sons, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Joan came to Mayo Clinic for a second opinion in hopes she would not have to terminate her pregnancy in order to treat the cancer.

Joan said her Mayo doctors, who included Dr. Donald Northfelt and Dr. Barbara Pockaj, gave her and her family hope. While pregnant, she had a mastectomy on her left breast and began chemotherapy. The Mayo Clinic team worked closely with Joan's obstetrician from Scottsdale Healthcare.  Joan's pregnancy was induced a month early so she could resume additional chemotherapy treatment.

The couple’s daughter , Elle Marie Faith, is now 17-months old and a happy and healthy child.

Joan still comes to the breast clinic at Mayo Clinic in Arizona for follow-up care and just started taking part in a clinical trial for a breast cancer vaccine.

Please click below to see Joan share her Mayo Clinic in Arizona experience.

This story was submitted by Julie Janovsky, Public Affairs communications consultant at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

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