Wendy Chioji, age 41, a news anchor at WESH-TV NBC in Orlando for the past 15 years, knew she had the ability to reach many people with the story of her struggle and survival after being diagnosed with breast cancer. So she set up a weekly journal on the station's Web site. Wendy wrote about what she was going through with no punches pulled. Two years later, she still hears from people who were inspired by her words. Wendy learned about a clinical trial during her treatment and embraced the opportunity to take part in it. "I felt that as long as I had to go through the treatment, I may as well help other people down the road," she says. Wendy frequently speaks to community groups, schools and businesses about her experience, sometimes as often as three to four times per week. By participating in the Tour of Hope, she hopes to reach even more people. "When you're faced with cancer you can do much more than survive. It's an opportunity to rise," she says. "I've learned to appreciate so much more by going through the whole cancer experience."

Moderator: Welcome to Viewpoint with our guest, Wendy Chioji. Wendy, thank you for joining us, and let's begin.

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New York, N.Y.: I've recently been diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 39. I've recently had a lumpectomy and will begin chemotherapy soon. Although I'm told I'm stage 1, I'm very scared. What helped you to deal with your diagnosis and maintain hope? Right now, I have no hope and I'm extremely depressed. My daughter is only six- years-old. Any comments on getting through this initial stage would be greatly appreciated.

Wendy Chioji: Thank you.
I think a positive outlook and the belief that better days are ahead are what helped me most during my eight months of surgery/recovery/chemotherapy. I never looked at the cancer diagnosis as a "death sentence," never really considered death as an option, really. The cancer was another chapter, where during the treatment, there were more good days than bad ... (remember that, that's helpful and true!). Also, take advantage of offers to help and talk with supportive loved ones. What also helped me is trying to keep life as "normal" as I could ... and now that it's over, believe me when I say my life is better, my friendships stronger, and my appreciation of my blessings bigger.

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Providence, R.I.: What convinced you to choose the clinical trial path?

Wendy Chioji: My oncologist told me about the opportunity I had to participate in a clinical trial. He was very blunt with me and said, basically, that I was going to go through the nausea and hair loss and low blood count anyway, so I may as well do my part to help others down the road.
I was concerned very briefly about the whole myth of being a "guinea pig," or being in a control group, but those concerns were quickly addressed. The truth is, you get standard, state-of-the-art care, or standard care plus the clinical trial. I believe I had better care, actually, as I had a clinical trial nurse who was available to me 24/7, if I had questions or worries.
My clinical trial was to compare a lower dose, more frequent dose of Taxotere to the standard treatment of Taxotere or Taxol once every three weeks. The bonus was that with Taxotere once a week at a lower dose, my hair grew back in during chemo!!!

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Atlanta, Ga.: Hello Wendy, just a comment: How admirable of you to be so concerned about helping others during what I'm sure was a difficult time for you. Keep up the good work!

Wendy Chioji: Thanks for your comments! I believe we should all do what we can!

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Raleigh, N.C.: Ms. Chioji, how did you deal with receiving your diagnosis? What were the first steps you took to address your situation? Thank you for your response.

Wendy Chioji: You know, you kind of have that feeling, when you're in the doctor's office, that something isn't right. I think I knew in the back of my mind that the lump in my breast was cancer. I had a lot of questions and pretty much just asked away. The first steps I took were to set up my medical team ... my surgeon, plastic surgeon, oncologist, etc.
Being a reporter, I always ask a lot of questions (probably drove everyone crazy), but I think the best weapon against both the disease and against fear during treatment, is knowledge. Ask lots of questions.

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Washington, D.C.: What would you tell a friend or family member if they were diagnosed with cancer?

Wendy Chioji: The first thing I would say is that they need to ask questions, get educated, take control. Doing research is so easy now, with the Internet. You can find out a lot about new treatments, the best doctors, and more.
Occasionally, I hear from cancer patients who kind of get lost in the shuffle ... can't get timely doctor's appointments, can't get information. I say, that's when you need most to take control. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people getting treatment now, and you really have to be reponsible and take control of your care. Get second opinions, ask questions, learn.

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Alexandria, Va.: How did you find out about the clinical trial you participated in?

Wendy Chioji: My oncologist told me about the clinical trial. His office is very active in clinical trials. It would be a good idea, if you are interested in clinical trials and are looking for an oncologist, to ask whether his/her office participates.
You can also find information on clinical trials and participating oncology offices at www.cancertrialshelp.org

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Chicago, Ill.: What was the best moment on your ride across the country in the Tour of Hope?

Wendy Chioji: There were so many great moments on the Tour of Hope. A few stand out ... riding in to Illinois, and seeing Lance Armstrong on the side of the road, and getting to pedal with him for a couple of hours ... making lifelong friends with my teammates ... speaking to thousands of people at the Tour of Hope rally in Indianapolis, telling them about hope and survival.
The best moments, though, came as we 26 rode in to Washington, D.C., after having come 3,200 miles across America. There were thousands of people there, our families, our friends, people who have been touched by cancer. There was such incredible love and excitement and hope that you couldn't help but have it touch your soul. You couldn't stop the tears ... everyone was crying and laughing. At that moment, every one of us riders knew we had achieved the goal of the Tour of Hope.

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Camp Hill, Pa.: Did the Tour of Hope get the message out about clinical trials? What else can be done to help cancer patients understand their treatment options including participating in a clinical trial?

Wendy Chioji: I believe the Tour of Hope did get the message out about clinical trials. Even six weeks later, I am asked about the Tour and its mission every day. But I also believe the Tour just got the ball rolling ... now, there's momentum built, and the informational push has to continue.
The biggest responsibility for understanding treatment options and clinical trials, though, still falls to the patient. It is CRITICAL that patients and their families research treatments, ask questions, and learn everything they can. Clinical trials aren't available everywhere, but I believe that if every patient at a non-participating medical center asked about being in a trial, things would change.

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Somewhere, USA: What kind of feedback have you gotten from your journal on your station's Web site and your speeches?

Wendy Chioji: You know, you try all your life to make a difference and have an impact on the community ... and my opportunity came because of cancer. When I was diagnosed in April of 2001, I did NOT want to talk about it extensively during the news, but did want to share what I was going through ... thinking maybe people could gain some insight, lose some fear. I wrote a journal entry every week for two years, then started it again during the Tour of Hope.
The journal received more than 60,000 hits in the first three months. I got hundreds, maybe thousands, of emails, letters, and phone calls from people who were able to take some strength from an entry ... maybe get a laugh from a situation they could relate to ... or learn something about a side effect.
The speeches get similar responses. More than a few times, after a speech, a woman will come up to tell me she's just been diagnosed, who does she call, what does she do?
Overall, knowledge is the best weapon against fear. That's what keeps me talking about it.

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New Delhi, India: Hi. Do you think it is better to avoid chemotherapy and try other alternative medicines as there is no cure for this disease or you would say one should go through the pains of chemotherapy?

Wendy Chioji: I sure don't like to believe there's no cure to the disease ... as I believe I am 100 percent healthy now. I did two rounds of chemotherapy, first A-C, then Taxotere. The way I see it, the most brilliant minds in the world are working on the best cancer treatments, and I wanted to take advantage of their knowledge.
When I was going through cancer treatment, I occasionally heard from folks who suggested alternative treatment rather than standard chemo, which, admittedly, is poison to your body. I was personally not willing to take the risk of an alternative treatment that may or may not work. For other people, at other stages of cancer, the answer may be different ... but there are nearly 9 million cancer survivors in the U.S. right now, most of whom had standard treatment. And those numbers are growing, with cancer research.

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West Valley City, Utah: Wendy, how do you keep up with your health, physically/mentally/spiritually/emotionally? Have you been diagnosed with osteoporosis and what treatment are you undergoing for that (if yes)?

Wendy Chioji: You sometimes hear people say that cancer was the best thing that ever happened to them. It sounds strange, but I can totally relate to that. Maybe it's staring death in the face that gives you a bottom-of-your-soul appreciation for life. Now, I try to stay balanced with what I do in my life ... I try not to let inconsequential things knock me off that balance. I tell people I love that I love them every day. I try to remain open to possibities and to life as much as I can. I am a triathlete, and a long-distance cyclist, and I try to give myself as much time to do that every day/week as I can.
I have not been diagnosed with osteoporosis.

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New York, N.Y.: Is your journal still available on a Web site to help those struggling with a cancer diagnosis?

Wendy Chioji: The journal has been reactivated on the Web site. The address is www.wesh.com. Click on "health" and to the breast cancer section on the bottom left ... all the journal entries are there. Thanks for asking.

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Philadelphia, Pa.: You were very young when diagnosed, before women got regular mammograms. How did you find out you had breast cancer?

Wendy Chioji: I was 39 when I was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. Because there is cancer in my family (three out of four grandparents), I actually had already had a baseline mammogram done a year earlier. But I found the lump myself, while getting out of bed.

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Harrisburg, Pa.: What would you do differently if you ever have to go through this again?

Wendy Chioji: There is only one thing I would have done differently if I were to go through cancer treatment again. I would have gone ahead and had a double mastectomy (with immediate reconstruction, of course). Although the cancer I had isn't one that typically will show up in the other breast, there's always the possibility. The reason we went ahead with modified mastectomy on one side only was that my surgeon wanted me to get into chemo asap ... and didn't want the potential additional risk of infection. But if I were to do it again, I think I'd do it anyway. That's just me.

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Philadelphia, Pa.: You mention the need to find out everything you can when diagnosed. Where do I go/how do I get this information? What about people who don't use the Internet?

Wendy Chioji: Ask questions upon questions upon questions. Ask cancer survivors you know ... call your local American Cancer Society or other cancer support group for information. Ask your doctors LOADS of questions, then get a second or a third opinion. There are great books out in the library or in the bookstores with loads of information. The best, least scary, most user-friendly book I found about breast cancer is by Rosie O'Donnell. It has great information, and it'll actually make you laugh occasionally ... always a good thing.

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Chevy Chase, Md.: My mother died of breast cancer 20 years ago. How much further along are we today with treatment for this disease?

Wendy Chioji: My grandmother died of breast cancer more than 30 years ago. Her treatment consisted of a horrendous, disfiguring surgery and no chemotherapy. Compare that to my treatment, during which I ran races and cycled and worked and travelled (of course, not during chemo weeks).
The strides that doctors have made in cancer treatment are phenomenal. But the only way to get newer, better treatments to us is through clinical trials. No new drug or treatment can get to patients unless it's been tried on humans. But only 5 percent of adult cancer patients participate in clnical trials. One thing we learned during the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope is that there are about 400 cancer drugs sitting in labs, that will need to go through clincal testing. Maybe the chemo drug that won't make your hair fall out is there ... or the drug that won't make you so sick you'll never eat your favorite food again ... or the cure for cancer. That's why is critical that if patients are qualified, they participate in clnical trials.

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Wendy Chioji: Thanks so much for allowing me to talk about cancer survivorship and clinical trials today. I am passionate about both issues, obviously. You probably noticed a theme in the answers to the questions that were posted: The best defense is information, education, knowledge. Ask questions! And have a wonderful holiday season.

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Moderator: Our thanks to Wendy Chioji, the Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups, Inc., and all who participated.

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