Hi! I’m Cynthia. I’m a 44 year old wife and mom of two here in Winnipeg. In October 2021, our world changed forever when a large mass was found on my liver. After a few months of testing, I was diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the bile ducts,and had a liver resection shortly thereafter. After a successful surgery and five months of chemotherapy, the cancer returned and I was then diagnosed with stage IV incurable Cholangiocarcinoma. Since July 2022, we have been working at keeping this disease at bay with chemotherapies, immunotherapies and targeted therapies. In the summer of 2023, I underwent extensive molecular profiling based on both tissue and blood serum biopsies). Results from those tests revealed a mutation for which a targeted therapy exists and is commonly used in other cancers. My team in Manitoba and I advocated for funded access to that drug and in October 2023, I started following a targeted therapy protocol based on my personal molecular profile. Within five weeks, my disease improved significantly and by the summer of 2024 I qualified for intensive radiation therapy to stabilize the remaining tumors on my liver. At present, I remain on the same therapy and am living fully with joy, and love, and HOPE!

February 20th is World Cholangiocarcinoma Day! This year it is not only about raising awareness of this cancer, but it is also about advocating for a smoother road to diagnosis as well as access to novel therapies. Please join me on February 15th at the Esplanade Riel Bridge to celebrate Light it #GreenforCCA. We are meeting at 6:30 pm to show our support, share our stories, warm up with hot chocolate, and take a group photo. Please wear green!

In addition to the gathering at the bridge, the Manitoba Cholangiocarcinoma Community has set up a fundraiser with funds going directly to CancerCare Manitoba Foundation; with a request for funds to be directed to precision oncology research and care for all cancers. 

Along this journey we have found great love and support from family and friends; we have found sound guidance from medical consulting firms and international cancer centers; and through it all, we have found a commitment to my care from CCMB- from testing, to re-testing, to surgical interventions, to providing psychosocial services, to assessing treatment options, to consulting with out-of-province physicians, to offering and securing funding for innovative and life-prolonging treatments. We are grateful for their support and happy to say we are Manitobans.