There are over 200 types of cancer, and it can develop in any of the body’s 60 organs. That fact was brought home when former Westwood English teacher Kim Tolman passed away in January from breast cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that 1.6 million people are affected by some form of cancer in the United States, nearly 13 million worldwide. In Arizona alone, 31,990 people are predicted to develop new cases of cancer in 2012.

Ms. Tolman was not the only Warrior impacted by cancer. Other teachers have had their own experiences with cancer, including English teacher Rachel Collay. While training vigorously for a half marathon, she noticed a small lump on her right thigh. Doctors performed an ultrasound on the lump and diagnosed it as a “fatty deposit.” By September, the lump had grown to eight centimeters in diameter.

In 2004, after a biopsy, doctors made a second diagnosis of sarcoma, a soft tissue cancer. She then went through surgery to have the lump removed, followed by six weeks of radiation. In October, she received news that the sarcoma had spread to her lungs, forcing another surgery called a “resection.” A resection removes the cancer from the affected section of the lungs, taking a part of the lung with it for precautionary reasons.

Following the resection was chemotherapy, which almost killed her the first time around. “I was put in isolation because I had neutropemia, or an abnormally low amount of white blood cells. Nobody could even come into my hospital room unless they had masks and gloves,” she explained.

The next summer, she went in to get scanned, and this time, Mrs. Collay received good news. “They told me that the scan had come up clear. I didn’t have any more lumps or tumors. I was so excited, I started to celebrate.” Celebrations ended quickly, when another doctor reviewed the scan and informed her that the previous doctor had missed a large tumor right next to her heart.

“They told me that the surgery to remove the tumor was too dangerous, and that I would most definitely die,” said Mrs. Collay. She searched for a doctor who would be willing to operate on her, and  found a doctor at UCLA who agreed to perform it. The surgery was successful, and she returned home to start a new kind of chemotherapy. She was treated twice a week, followed by a week off.

Mrs. Collay has now been, officially, cancer-free for five years.

“I am so happy with life now, I don’t have to think about it all the time in the back of my mind,” Mrs. Collay explained. “It consumes you.” She also added that she was really excited her hair has been growing back ever since she was taken off treatment.

Sarcoma is believed to have been caused by an imbalance of hormones, and usually affects tendons, muscles, bones, and tissues. It is found most commonly in the legs or arms. An estimated 11,280 new soft tissue sarcomas will be diagnosed, and 3,900 American cases will prove fatal in 2012.

Yvonne Johnson, the current yearbook and graphics teacher, is a breast cancer survivor who had her share of fighting. Ms. Johnson was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer about 20 years ago. Her form of cancer was non aggressive and very treatable, but she still endured chemotherapy and radiation treatments for six months.

“Even after all that time, I still get nervous every year when I go in for my regular mammogram,” she said. “I was very fortunate.”

Just two  years after Ms. Johnson was diagnosed, another Westwood teacher, Paula Rudow, succumbed to the same disease.

Other teachers at Westwood have also faced cancer. English teacher Jeffrey Bolyard is a breast cancer survivor, and former long-time teachers Lin Bordwell and Craig Cummins both battled melanoma.

Teachers aren’t the only ones affected by cancer. Even at the young age of 16, current junior Abriel Cleaver was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of oarcoma found in the bones. She was diagnosed the beginning of first semester. A cheerleader and track athlete, Abriel was told that she just had had arthritis in her right knee, which often swelled up, and at one point, stayed swollen for two weeks. A visit to the doctor and an MRI proved that a mysterious mass was embedded in her knee, and a biopsy would later confirm a diagnosis of osteosarcoma. Unlike other cancers, osteosarcoma is not classified into stages, rather, monitored based on whether it has spread to the lungs. Abriel had surgery to remove the tumor and is currently undergoing chemotherapy every two weeks.

Many students also know attendance clerk Debby Dutra, whose son Justin was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in June of 2001, only a month after he graduated from Westwood. After visiting the doctor for a football injury, doctors noticed an odd lump under his right arm. Within two weeks of discovery, the lump had grown to the size of a hot dog. Doctors ran many tests, including CT scans, PET scans, and dozens of blood tests.

Mrs. Dutra said surgery that July successfully removed the lump, and was soon followed by chemotherapy. He endured the treatment once a week, every other week. Weeks that he didn’t have chemo, Justin injected himself with a drug that cost $800 per shot, but stimulated white blood cells. He was classified as stage two, level two Hodgkins lymphoma, with a lump under his arm and on his lungs.

Justin was put through four months of chemotherapy before he was put on a month of radiation. He was required to take blood tests every two to three months. Radiation and chemotherapy reduced the capability of his lungs by a third.

By the summer of 2002, Justin was considered cancer-free and has remained cancer-free for 10 years. He now works for the Mesa Fire Department as a firefighter.

There are even more students and teachers, both former and current, at Westwood who have battled cancer. This includes Ben Riddle, Principal Helen Riddle’s son. The American Cancer Society estimates that cancer will impact one out of two men, and one out of three women.

That is why students and staff at Westwood have volunteered in large numbers for over 10 years at an event that helps all of those affected by cancer. Every year, the American Cancer Society holds a relay-style event called “Relay for Life.” Teams camp out on a football field, while members take turns walking around the track for the entire event. The event raises money for cancer treatment and research.

Relay for Life will take place at Dobson High School from 4 p.m. on April 21, to 6 a.m.. April 22. This overnight event gives participants a chance to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.

There are already several teams formed at Westwood, but there is still room for more, since there can only be up to 15 people on a team. If you are interested in more information, or signing up, contact Westwood’s Relay for Life chair, Heike Parks, in either the library or AV, or sign up at the website: http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12National?fr_id=38628&pg=teamlist and look for Westwood teams.