Sunday Burquest, who was a contestant on “Survivor” during the Millennials vs. Gen. X season in 2016, took to social media to announce that she was just diagnosed with both esophageal and ovarian cancer — this comes 8 years after the “Survivor” alum battled breast cancer.
Burquest posted a video to Instagram where she explained the diagnosis. “You know how they say when it rains it pours? Well, it really poured on me today,” she says in the video, before explaining that she was diagnosed with esophageal cancer that had spread to her ovaries.
Read More“It’s not a super great thing, of course, and not fun to hear,” Burquest adds. “But I will say, I do know that I’ve already survived cancer once, and I will survive it again.”
Burquest was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and has spoken regularly about her experience with the disease and living as a survivor.
In April, to mark the eighth year since her diagnosis, the “Survivor” alum took to Instagram to explain that she shared her cancer story in hopes that it would inspire other women.
“On April 11, 2012 I received a call that changed my life forever,” the post read. “I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. After multiple surgeries, 8 rounds of chemo and radiation, I was cancer-free. I fought the cancer with all I had and am now using my story to inspire others.”
What is Esophageal Cancer?
There are several different types of cancer of the esophagus, and Burquest did not specify what type of disease she had. According to the American Cancer Society, the disease is more common in American men. Of more than 18,000 cases of esophageal cancer expected to be diagnosed in 2020, about 14,000 of those will be male.
There are certain factors that may increase a person’s risk of getting esophageal cancer — smoking being the main one. Drinking alcohol, acid reflux disease and obesity have all also been linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. The American Cancer Society also notes that in some countries outside of the U.S., people who have contracted the human papillomavirus (HPV) are more likely to develop cancer of the esophagus — though that doesn’t seem to be the case in the U.S.
Esophageal cancer is rare, and often difficult to diagnose. For those reasons, there hasn’t been a whole lot of progress in treating the disease in recent years. In a previous conversation about treating esophageal cancer, Dr. Raja Flores, Chairman of Thoracic Surgery at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, told SurvivorNet that the disease is often diagnosed in the later stages — meaning, like Burquest’s, the disease has already spread to distant parts of the body.
“Of [all the cases diagnosed in the U.S. per year], only about 1,000 get surgery, because the majority of them are identified at such a late stage,” he said.
Because surgery is not often an option for patients with advanced esophageal cancer, chemotherapy and radiation may be given to try to keep the cancer under control for as long as possible. In some instances, immunotherapy may be used.
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