“Cancer not a death sentence,” says breast cancer survivor

“Cancer not a death sentence,” says breast cancer survivor
Cancer Survivor, Keffie Anne Duncombe, with her husband and children.

Keffie Anne Duncombe has a family history of cancer.

The 47-year-old’s father, Hilbert Ferguson, died of prostate cancer in August 2012 and her mother Pearline died from breast cancer in December 2014. When Keffie was diagnosed three years ago, however, she was determined to live.

Despite being diagnosed with stage two breast cancer, Keffie is still here today. She’s a fighter who has beaten the disease, and she wants cancer patients to know that the disease is not a death sentence.

Days after an annual check-up, Keffie said her lump was discovered during a routine check-up by Gynecologist Dr. Pamela Carroll who was always “gentle in her approach”.

She explained that Dr. Carroll later faxed her records to the Tampa General Hospital, whose doctors and nurses, she said, were very professional and caring in administering treatment.

Keffie’s husband Marvin Duncombe said immediately after breaking the news to her family, they made the decision that they were going to fight as a family and give Keffie their full support.

Keeping his word, Duncombe travelled with his wife to Tampa, Florida every 21 days for six months where she underwent all treatments needed to rid her body of cancer.

“My family had a very dramatic experience,” Keffie explained.

“We travelled to Tampa where I got six rounds of chemo, a double mastectomy and a tummy tuck with [breast] reconstruction.”

About six weeks after surgery, Duncombe began chemo and had her very last session on October 22, 2015. The cancer survivor decided to complete all of her treatment in Tampa, and she strongly believes that is one of the reasons why she is doing so well today.

Keffie said that the healing process was a very long and a difficult one, but she had to overcome it all for her family.

Keffie is now cancer free and she takes no medication, but she still travels to Tampa every six months for check-ups.

Today, Duncombe is now a strong, dedicated and powerful woman who has adopted a total lifestyle change as it relates to her diet and daily activities.

Keffie said that every year during the month of October – which promotes breast cancer awareness – she looks forward to sharing her story.

Keffie is now an advocate for breast cancer and goes out of her way to encourage women to have annual mammograms. She also engages in interviews to bring awareness to the disease.