Meet Dr. Helene Andrews-Polynemis, a scientist and tenured professor at Texas A&M University. Helene’s journey in the medical and biology fields took an unexpected turn when she faced a personal battle with pancreatic cancer.
In this episode, Helene shares her experience navigating diagnostic tests, revealing a tumor, followed by smaller tumors and abscesses on her pancreas and surrounding organs in late 2019.
Amid aggressive chemotherapy cycles, Helene discusses the additional hurdles posed by the pandemic, including her husband waiting in the car during treatments. Tragically, her father received a pancreatic cancer diagnosis shortly after hers, and due to pandemic restrictions, she had to say goodbye without being there for him in person due to travel restrictions and their conditions with pancreatic cancer.
Despite these hardships, Helene’s determination centered on witnessing her two children graduate high school and college. Helene delves into the scientific aspects of cancer, discussing genetic mutations, biological responses to chemotherapy, and the intricate world of clinical trials.
Join us for a thoughtful conversation with Helene Andrews, a remarkable pancreatic cancer survivor, on this week’s episode of the Project Purple Podcast.
To learn more about Helene, you can connect with her on X:
https://twitter.com/HPolymenis
