Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer, Diagnosis and Treatment, Featured, Lymphoma, Survivorship

Focus on hope: Brescia’s story

By Nicole Ferrara • December 17, 2024

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Brescia Dover studying abroad in Italy
Photo courtesy: Brescia Dover

By Marty Velasco Hames

At 20 years old, Brescia Dover was ready to take on the world.

She was on her way to achieving her dream of being a professional photographer.

Everything was going according to plan when her dream came to a halt. Brescia was diagnosed with cancer. With her plans for her future pushed aside, Brescia's focus was now on her health and hope.

It's an unexpected chapter facing an increasing number of adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer.

Watch: Focus on hope: Brescia's Story

Brescia's dream

At 4 years old, it was clear Brescia Dover had a flair for creativity. She readily admits she was never one to miss an opportunity to play dress-up, draw pictures, or tell a story.

Brescia at 4 years old
Photo courtesy: Brescia Dover

"Being creative has always been at the core of what I do," she says. Early on she developed a love for photography and videography. Brescia's dream was to pursue a career that allowed her to put her creative energy to work.

After high school Brescia's passion led her to college to study film and media production. She even traveled to Italy to study abroad. After her Italian adventure, Brescia returned to the U.S. to finish college. First, she went to her doctor for her annual checkup.

"I lived a really healthy, balanced lifestyle," says Brescia. "My doctor found swelling on the side of my neck. I hadn't noticed the swelling and didn't have any symptoms." Brescia was sent for an ultrasound followed by a surgical biopsy.

Looking back at this photo taken before her cancer diagnosis, Brescia says she can see the swelling on the left side of her neck
Photo courtesy: Brescia Dover

The diagnosis: cancer

The surgical biopsy revealed Brescia had Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare type of blood cancer. "Being diagnosed with cancer at 20 years old was so scary and I wouldn't wish that on any 20-year-old," says Brescia. "I think about the young version of me who just found out she had cancer, and I just wish I could give her a hug."

Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that begins in the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. Brescia says the news came as a shock because she felt healthy and had no family history of cancer. "It felt like there was something I could have done to prevent it, but I learned that there's nothing I could have done," says Brescia.

Being a young adult with cancer

Brescia at Mayo Clinic
Photo courtesy: Brescia Dover

"When I was going through college and diagnosed with cancer it was not what I was expecting," says Brescia. "Being a young adult with cancer was very hard and challenging. It is scary and can be very frightening."

At 20 years old, Brescia falls into a group of patients referred to as adolescents and young adults with cancer. AYA patients are between the ages of 15 and 39, and experts say they face a distinct set of challenges.

"One of the reasons this age group is so important is based on their life stage; the things they uniquely face, like body image, disruption in school and work, financial challenges, feeling isolation," says Allison Rosenthal, D.O., a Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center hematologist-oncologist.

Doctor and cancer survivor

Dr. Allison Rosenthal is medical director of Mayo Clinic's Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program

Dr. Rosenthal knows firsthand the challenges AYA patients face. She was diagnosed with leukemia during medical school. "I had leukemia in medical school. There were a lot of missed opportunities in my care to recognize the issues that I might face as a 24-year-old woman," explains Dr. Rosenthal.

Putting her experience into action, Dr. Rosenthal championed Mayo Clinic's Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program. The program is tailored to meet the unique needs of AYA patients, including medical care, fertility concerns, social and relationship issues, school and work concerns, and the personal and emotional impact of cancer in this age group.

Brescia and her doctor, Allison Rosenthal, D.O.
Photo courtesy: Brescia Dover

Brescia underwent about four months of chemotherapy treatment under the care of Dr. Rosenthal. "She did a beautiful job of explaining to me what the process was going to look like and what my treatment plan was going to look like. Because I'm so young, she walked me through the whole process," says Brescia.

Cancer-free and focused on the future

After her cancer treatments, Brescia returned to college and got her degree. She started her own marketing agency providing social media management, videography, photography, and brand development with her personal creative touch. She also celebrated her five-year anniversary of being cancer-free.

"I also have a podcast called the 'Checkered Jaguar' where I get to have incredible conversations with people, share their stories and connect people who may be going through similar challenges that I went through," says Brescia. "We're all in this journey together, and just being open and vulnerable with my journey, as challenging as it may be, I feel like it connects me to people all around the world."