Life has always presented challenges to North Boston grandmother Vivian Feltz, but she is proud to count herself among the millions of cancer survivors. Vivian coped with divorce after 38 years of marriage; the death of one daughter and a long custody battle over her daughter's children; she has supported and helped another daughter through her diagnosis and treatment of cancer and helped raise five grandchildren and five great grandchildren. She is also a confident 10-year survivor of esophageal cancer.

Vivian's journey to cancer survivorship began many years ago when she was first diagnosed with an irritation to her esophagus, the long hollow muscular tube that carries food and liquids from the throat to the stomach. Her condition continued to worsen and she was diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus, a precancerous condition.

In 1996, diligent follow-up revealed a very small cancerous tumor at the end of her esophagus near the stomach. She was frightened by one surgeon's recommendation to remove the esophagus entirely: a procedure in which the stomach is pulled all the way up to the neck to reconstruct an esophageal passage. That's when she came to Roswell Park.

 "My daughter begged me to go to Roswell Park for a second opinion. I am so grateful to her for insisting and to the doctors there who saved my life," Vivian recalls.

An eight-hour operation was performed by Dr. Judy Smith and her team.  During the surgery, the doctors determined the cancer had not spread and were able to remove it completely. There was no involvement of the lymph nodes; she did not require or need chemotherapy or radiation treatment after the surgery.

Vivian was followed closely every three months as it was an isolated tumor with no involvement of lymph nodes and no other cancer in the surrounding areas.  As a result, doctors did not recommend chemotherapy or radiation treatment after the surgery. She currently is evaluated once a year and is proud and happy to proclaim that she is a 10-year cancer survivor.

"I give credit to Roswell Park for saving my life," Vivian continues. "I am a living example of how an early diagnosis and treatment can lead to a cure." She is a firm believer in cancer screening recommendations and following your doctor's advice.

 Vivian's message of hope for the holidays: "Cancer screening and regular follow-up care saved my life. So go have those tests recommended by your doctors such as mammograms and colonoscopies. I know I am alive today because of these tests. They could save your life too!"