Jan 13, 2022.
It was short, simple and complicated.
I received a text on December 7.
The pathology report came back today and showed that I have a cancer in my fallopian tube, so I'm going to have more surgery next week, and then I'm going to have chemo.
I read the text five times.
Chrissie is a friend of mine. Her sister died of the disease. My god.
"No!" S---. I'm so sorry. When you are ready to call. I'm here to help.
Chris McKendry and Chris Evert are working together.
She needed more information. Privacy was needed to process it. She needed to recover from her surgeries. She needed to tell her story. Chrissie has always owned her story. We are here.
Chris Evert was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It was discovered after a preventive hysterectomy. She has not been found with cancer in other parts of her body. She began her first round of treatment this week.
She says that she has lived a very good life. There are some challenges that I have to contend with. I have peace of mind that the cancer won't come back.
She is a bit nervous.
Chrissie says that she has no idea how she will respond to the treatment. I have to give up something higher.
Chrissie's surgeon is Dr. joey Cardenas of the gynecologic/oncology department at Cleveland Clinic Florida near Fort Lauderdale.
70% of ovarian cancer is diagnosed at Stage 3 or 4. She'd be Stage 3 or 4 in three months. If nothing is done, it reaches the abdomen.
There are no symptoms for most women, including Chrissie. Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect early.
She told me that her annual exams, which included tests for the amount of cancer antigen 125 in her blood, were all negative.
She says she is lucky because someone has seen the unlucky.
Chris and her sister died from ovarian cancer in February 2020. Chris says that she will get him through his own treatment journey.
Chrissie's younger sister, who was a professional tennis player, died in February 2020. She was 62 years old. The two sisters were racing through the airport to make their flight to Singapore in October of last year when Chrissie realized that her sister was not breathing.
Chrissie says that like many other women, Jeanne was busy taking care of everyone else.
As soon as they came back, Jeanne promised to see the doctor. She was diagnosed with cancer. It was late-stage and had spread. Chrissie describes watching Jeanne in treatment as traumatizing. She says the memories of her mother's strength will motivate her.
Chrissie says that she is her inspiration when she goes into treatment. I'll be thinking of her. She will get me through it.
Chrissie spoke at the funeral. Chrissie was funny and poised. Chrissie was blunt when she spoke about Jeanne's cancer. It was a powerful message.
The last 2 1/2 years of Jeanne's life have been brutal. She dealt with a lot of treatments and procedures. She fought until the bitter end. It was heartbreaking to watch, for those of us who were with her.
At her sister's funeral, Evert mentioned that the strength of Jeanne during treatment is now a source of inspiration.
When she was diagnosed with cancer, she tested negative for harmful versions of the BRCA1 gene, which can be markers for susceptibility to certain cancers. Family members weren't encouraged to have genetic testing. People who have a variant of this gene have a higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
Genetic testing has evolved since Jeanne's diagnosis. The variant in BRCA1 that Jeanne had was found to be bad. The Evert family received a call notifying them of the change in the interpretation of their daughter's genetic report four years after she was diagnosed.
The phone call was a miracle.
Chrissie sent her blood for testing. She also had a variant of the genes. Chrissie had a hysterectomy in December.
Chrissie said they thought they were being proactive. Since Jeanne had ovarian cancer, that was the priority. A breast decision is in the future.
Things took a turn that was unexpected. "Dr. Cardenas called and said we need to go back in within 10 days for some tissue samples."
Chrissie was shocked. The left fallopian tube was the location of the tumor. Many of the medical terms were familiar to her as she sat in various appointments.
She said she heard all the terms for two years. It was like going back in time again. The space was horrible.
Doctors operated on a patient again.
Then the wait.
It was the longest three days of my life. She said stage 1 or stage 3. I'm a different person if I'm clear of cancer. I was sleepy. I just couldn't believe it. I had been playing tennis and working out. I didn't feel different.
Chrissie sent a text on December 15.
Yes! Screaming! I said yes.
It was a good day. Stage 1. Dr. Cardenas called Chrissie. Pathology came back negative this time. The cancer was removed during the surgery. It had not spread. There's a good chance that her cancer will never return.
I don't remember being that happy in a long time. Chrissie said something.
They joke about how many notes they take while covering tennis tournaments. Chris Evert has taken dozens of pages of notes detailing surgeries, discoveries, treatments and support groups in hopes that she will help others.
Chrissie has inspired millions of women to pursue their athletic dreams since her debut at the 1971 US Open. She is proud to have shown a mix of both genders. Chrissie has done everything. She thrives on competition, but dislikes confrontation as much as she did in her playing days. She would sooner work on a problem or injustice than argue over it.
Chris Evert Charities raised close to $30 million to fight drug addiction in South Florida. She is the chairperson of the USTA Foundation, which helps underserved youth throughout the country. Chrissie understands the responsibility that comes with her platform. It's one of the things I admire about her generation of players.
50 years after her debut on the world's stage, she's putting this personal information front and center for the sake of all women and men. She made a strong case for sharing her story.
She tells me that more people need to hear these stories. It's the reality! These conversations are necessary. Ovarian cancer can be very deadly. Any information is powerful.
Her advice is to be your own advocate. Know your family's history. Follow your gut, be aware of changes, and have total awareness of your body. Don't think this will pass if you try to be a crusader.
The V Foundation is committed to the fight against cancer. If you can, please donate to cancer research by visiting V.org/donate.
100% of donations go to cancer research.
The perception of gynecologic cancers as a women's disease needs to change. People of all gender identities can be at increased risk of cancer if they have the same genes.
Chrissie spent a lot of time waiting for her results. She realized she was joining a group that no one would want to be a part of. She thought of many other women, sisters, friends and families that have been facing this challenge.
Keeping up to date with exams and office visits, knowing your family history, and having a good relationship with your gynecologist are some of the keys to an early diagnosis. Women should know the risk factors, too, such as history of breast cancer and infertility. Ovarian cancer diagnosis age is 63.
"Ovarian cancer is very rare," Dr. Cardenas said. If a patient has a family history, we encourage genetic testing and counseling.
Chrissie's life is likely to have been saved by her sister's genetic information.
Chrissie wants you to visit The American Cancer Society and Cleveland Clinic for more information.
The V Foundation is committed to the fight against cancer. If you can, please donate to cancer research by visiting V.org/donate.
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