Kristina Keller credits her amazing recovery from stage 4 breast and liver cancer to prayer, hope, and the excellent care she received at St Luke's Health-The Woodlands Hospital.

Kristina found a lump in her right breast, which was later confirmed to be Stage 4 invasive lobular carcinoma, which originates in the milk-producing glands, unlike most breast cancers that start in the ducts. She was told she had a 30 percent chance of living five years. 

“I was 53 years old, a single mother to my 13-year-old son, and suddenly, everything about my future felt uncertain… Would I see my son grow up? Would I have the strength to fight?” she wrote in a blog post she later wrote about her experience.

Kristina’s doctor gave her the names of several oncologists, but once she met with Dr. Angela Coscio at the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at St. Luke’s Health-The Woodlands Hospital, she looked no further.

“We just clicked right away,” Kristina recalled. Dr. Coscio worked with me to come up with my treatment plan. She treated me as a unique case, not just another number … and she turned out to be a lifesaver.”

At the time, Kristina was considering a double mastectomy. Dr. Coscio reviewed a breast MRI ordered by a previous provider, and she noticed a concerning shadow on Kristina’s spleen. Further tests revealed Kristina’s breast cancer had spread to her liver.  Dr. Coscio recommended that Kristina delay her mastectomy and proceed with hormone therapy.

In April 2024, Kristina began oral treatment consisting of hormone therapy and a cell cycle inhibitor.  She took four pills a day for four months. When Kristina had questions about her treatment, she appreciated that Dr. Coscio was always willing to listen to her ideas. “I didn’t have to hide anything from her. We were a team,” she said.

After just two months, a scan showed a 50-percent reduction of the tumor in her breast. After four months, the cancer was completely gone from her breast and liver.

Kristina underwent a double mastectomy due to a significant history of breast cancer in her family. It turned out to be the right decision - surgeons found early-stage ductal cancer in her left breast.

Kristina will take two medications for the rest of her life to prevent recurrence, but she never had to have chemotherapy or radiation. With her clear scans and diagnostic blood tests, she now has a 95% chance of living five years.

Kristina has written a book about her honest and often humorous story of surviving cancer, offering encouragement and hope to others facing similar challenges. Through her writing, Kristina aims to inspire others to be an advocate for their own health, trust their faith, and never underestimate the power of prayer.

“If you are told you have stage 4 cancer, your first thought is: I'm going to die,” she recalled. “I want people to have hope. Prayers are powerful.”