Health

‘I’m living life moment by moment’: 4-time cancer survivor participating in cancer research at UCF

ORLANDO, Fla. — Terlisa Shepard was 31 years old and eight months pregnant when she got her first breast cancer diagnosis.

That was the first of four cancer battles the now 55-year-old would have.

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She was told she wouldn’t live past 34.

“I’m living life moment by moment,” Shepard said.

Read: UCF researchers working to minimize bone damage in breast cancer patients

Shepard is now participating in cancer research at the University of Central Florida that shows what cancer cells are doing and about to do.

Dr. Annete Khaled, the head of cancer research at UCF, is working to make every moment count. She said current tests detect cancer when its localized. Her new test finds advanced cancer early, before it begins to spread anywhere in the body.

Read: Biden hopes ending cancer can be a ‘national purpose’ for US

You can learn more about the process in the video above.

Kahled said she expects to start testing on patients within the year.

Watch: AdventHealth Women’s Health Minute: Breast cancer treatment

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Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.

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