After what Beth Ginsberg justifiably called a “miracle” in her personal story with cancer, she wanted to give back to the community. That’s when she connected with Cancer Pathways, judging the teen writing contest and joining the board.

Ginsberg was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 and underwent treatment. After five years, she was diagnosed with a cancerous lung tumor that was thought to be Stage 4 breast cancer, and it was found by happenstance. Ginsberg was being evaluated for what she thought was a MRSA nose infection. She filled out a 100-question form about her symptoms and, trying to avoid appearing a hypochondriac, decided to fill in “yes” to the question about chest pain.

Because of that one answer, ER doctors did a one-off chest X-ray and found a suspicious mass. After CT and PET scans and various other tests, Ginsberg found herself undergoing a thoracotomy (open lung surgery) to remove the cancerous mass.

The tumor ended up being a sarcoma (not a carcinoma) that was in its infancy, and because the surgeon was able to catch it so early and remove it entirely, Ginsberg was “cured.”  

“In the end, the nose infection had absolutely nothing to do with the discovery of the lung tumor, which in all likelihood was a side effect of radiation treatment five years earlier for breast cancer,” Ginsberg said. “The odds of the tumor turning out to be what it was, and being discovered as early as it was, was well below .05%, so low, that the thoracic surgeon did not tell me that was a possibility.”

Ginsberg, who married her partner of 33 years, Annette Hayes, in 2019, shortly after Ginsberg healed from the thoracotomy, adopted Sophie, 20, from China two decades ago. Sophie, a sophomore at Brown University, is studying biomedical engineering.

“Being on the board of Cancer Pathways has provided me with the outlet I was searching for,” Ginsberg said. “As a result of my miracle of sorts, I vowed that I would give back, and what better way than to work with Anna (Gottlieb) and her team to help those in our community who have been touched by cancer.”