“Initially, I felt pressure in my armpits. For example, when I drive or sleep on my side, I feel it. I don’t feel bloated, the doctor found it during a gynecological examination. At that time, she was already 2 centimeters,” Barbora Strymplová told News.

She was eventually treated for Hodgkin’s lymphoma for a year, but Barbora had to undergo a lengthy series of examinations before a correct diagnosis was made. In his case, the initial visit to the breast center did not indicate that it could be a serious disease.

However, Barbora returned to the center of the giants before the scheduled inspection. “I have felt the lump myself and I have felt it change its structure. At that time, another doctor also examined my chest and used ultrasound to find other findings. Then a biopsy was done, he said.

“At first I was not afraid, the doctor said fifty to fifty. When I searched for the results, I still believed it was just inflammation. But the doctor invited me and my mother, so I suspect something is up,” he explained, adding that he also had a hard time with how the family coped with the illness. “The illness will affect the whole family, not just the sick,” he added.

Barbora then underwent another examination, which confirmed that the disease had progressed to the fourth, most advanced stage and had spread further throughout the body. It was the turn of chemotherapy, which she underwent at the Vinohrady hospital in Prague in six three-week cycles.

“For the first two weeks, a person is like beer, he doesn’t want to do anything, his body is tired, I can’t even read. I didn’t even come to work because of the treatment,” a young woman told Novinka.

Even after chemotherapy, she didn’t win, and re-examination showed that the treatment caused a metabolic reaction, which could indicate inflammation in the body or another lymphoma. This is usually helped by photon irradiation, which is more burdensome to the patient than chemotherapy, because so-called ionizing radiation can cause side effects later in life.

An alternative is proton therapy, which specifically destroys tumor cells with proton irradiation and is the only one in the Czech Republic dedicated to the Prague Proton Center. According to the director of the health department, Jiří Kubeš, this treatment is especially suitable for young patients, such as Barbora, who underwent treatment here in June this year.

“The very young people have a high chance of recovery, the greater the fear of possible side effects of ionizing radiation, which sometimes appear within twenty or thirty years,” explains Jiří Kubeš.

State-of-the-art proton technology, called the pencil scan method, allows them to prevent this side effect, by which they can target and irradiate tumor areas with millimeter accuracy with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissues and organs.

“Proton radiation is very effective in eradicating residual cancer, but more importantly it reduces the risk of possible complications later in life. For a significant percentage of patients, the treatment is suitable and brings them examination of certain healthy tissues for the negative effects of ionizing radiation,” explains Kubeš.

The center also focuses on the treatment of tumors of the lung, central nervous system, head and neck as well as prostate and breast cancers. Since their founding in 2012, they have treated nearly 8,000 patients from 50 countries around the world.

In addition, proton therapy is currently being replaced and, according to Kubeš, they have very good cooperation with health insurance companies.

Proton radiation therapy finally helped Barbora. “It was only our concern at the time. It can’t even be described. I am very happy to be able to undergo radiation after treatment, because it is certain that the disease will not come back again,” he said, adding that thanks to the disease that he seems to have managed to overcome, it has become a priority in his life. changed.

“One starts to appreciate life more. For example, I start to travel more. Besides, I think more now that it is better to take a break after work and sometimes say that instead of cooking, I will order food when my finances allow it,” she adds with a smile. .