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“I’d never heard of a Somali person who had cancer,” Hodan said. “It is a very taboo thing in the community where people hide it. They think someone who has cancer is cursed.”

What is Hodgkin lymphoma?

Hodgkin lymphoma is considered a rare cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

“It is generally viewed as curable, even at stage 4,” said Dr. Torgerson. “Hodgkin lymphoma most commonly occurs in adolescents and young adults, particularly those in their teens and 20s. It is less frequently diagnosed in people in their 30s and 40s, though we do see a second increase in cases among adults in their 50s to 70s.”

After completing treatment as a teen, Hodan thought cancer was behind her. 

“I thought it was something you get once, and then you survive it. You just keep moving,” Hodan said.

Hodan was moving forward. She took some college courses, got married and started growing her family. By 2020, she’d had four consecutive clear cancer scans. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed what she’d hoped would be her fifth and final cancer checkup. In 2021, just weeks after giving birth to her son, she learned cancer had returned.

The cancer returns

“I met her shortly after the birth of her first child,” said Dr. Torgerson. “She had noticed a lump, along with symptoms that many people might not initially associate with lymphoma, but tests showed the cancer had returned.”

Since Hodan was still in her 20s at the time, Dr. Torgerson knew preserving her fertility would be a priority, but they were up against the clock. Because her cancer was already stage 4, there was no time to freeze eggs. Treatment needed to begin quickly.

Dr. Torgerson suggested ovarian suppression therapy, a monthly injection to temporarily shut down her ovaries. It’s a method typically used to give breast cancer patients a chance of protecting their fertility.

“Chemotherapy affects active cancer cells. The hope was that with my reproductive system shut down, the effects of chemo would not be as harsh and destructive,” Hodan said. “He didn’t guarantee my fertility would be preserved. He said it would give me a chance.”

Because her disease had returned, Hodan was not able to receive the same treatment protocol as before. 

“She underwent high-dose chemotherapy, which eliminated her bone marrow and the cancerous cells,” said Dr. Torgerson. “Previously collected healthy cells were then reinfused to restore her bone marrow.”

Successful treatment