Thanks to surgery and cancer care, Janet is back to caring for her patients. Persistent stomach cramps sent Janet Westmoland, a Barnes-Jewish Hospital ob/gyn nurse, to her primary care physician, but the cause was worse than they both suspected.

A CT scan detected a large mass in her uterus. After a biopsy and Pap smear determined the presence of endometrial cancer, Westmoland was quickly referred to David Mutch, MD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology and chief, division of gynecologic oncology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.

Dr. Mutch staged the endometrial cancer at stage IV. The disease had spread to Westmoland''s abdominal cavity – including the stomach, liver and bowels. Her prognosis for long-term survival was around 10 to 15 percent.

After removing the 15-pound tumor from her uterus, Dr. Mutch used a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy to remove any remaining cancer cells.

Throughout her treatment period, Westmoland continued to work instead of staying home. "I didn''t want to dwell on my disease," she says. "I thought to myself, I have cancer, but cancer does not have me."

Typically, treatment options for stage IV endometrial cancer are limited to reducing symptoms and prolonging survival of a patient. Thanks to advances in chemotherapy and radiation, improved survival rates for late stage cancers are possible. "If we can administer appropriate chemotherapy to reduce tumors to a non-measurable level, patients often do very well," says Dr. Mutch.

Westmoland has been cancer-free for three years and will celebrate her 30th year in the nursing profession. Being a survivor helps her understand what her patients go through. "I can identify with their fears and concerns," Westmoland says. "So I talk to them about my experience to make them feel better about going through chemotherapy."

As a mother to three children, Westmoland is looking forward to seeing her youngest son graduate from high school next year. She also plans to devote more of her time to volunteering in the community. "There are so many things I want to do with my life," she says.