Why I’m Running: ‘I’m no longer running from cancer, I’m outpacing it!’
Kristina Coccoluto is running for the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge.
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon runners share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston.
Name: Kristina Coccoluto
Age: 37
From: Lynnfield
Simply put, the care I received at Dana-Farber empowered me, changed my perspective, and saved my life. Running for the DFMC team is my opportunity to give back. Hereditary cancer has been a part of my narrative from my beginning. I was born with the BRCA1 mutation, meaning I was considered at high risk for various cancers. When I tested positive at the age of 25, I felt like I had a ticking time bomb in my body with an 87% risk of breast cancer in my lifetime and a 60% risk of ovarian cancer. As the daughter of a two-time breast cancer survivor and the niece of a woman who died from ovarian cancer, the anxiety of not IF, but WHEN consumed me. I knew first hand when someone in your family is diagnosed with cancer it impacts the entire family. I felt like a walking statistic. And yet I didn’t want my daughter to grow up fearing for my health.
I made the commitment to myself and to my family that I would do whatever I could to reduce my risk. While there were options to reduce my risk, a double mastectomy resonated and made the most sense for me. Forfeiting my healthy breasts was not an easy decision, but I felt deeply supported by my oncology team, family, and community. I wanted nothing more than to feel confident in my skin, empowered by my options, and free from this deadly disease.
Running became an incredible metaphor for my experience. I had never run more than a 5k but decided I would run a marathon. If I can run a marathon, I can confidently walk into an operating room. In October 2015, I crossed the finish line in Chicago, knowing my real finish line was waiting for me in a few months. In January 2016, four days after my 30th birthday, I confidently walked into an operating room at Brigham and Women’s with the support of my oncology team at Dana-Farber to remove my healthy breast tissue to reduce my risk from 87% to under 5%.
Immediately after breast reconstruction, I got pregnant with our second child and in 2019 gave birth to our third child. Our family felt complete, but my risk for ovarian cancer was still lurking. So on October 3, 2022, I had a complete hysterectomy to reduce my risk. With an 8-week recovery, I wanted something to look forward to so I applied to run Boston on the only charity team that felt so deeply personal, the DFMC team! I’m no longer running from cancer, I’m outpacing it!
The difference between me and the generation before me is time, technology, and research. Research saved my life and I know together we are going to save so many more. We are running toward the future we all want; one without cancer. Heredity cancer will continue to impact my family. My sisters have chosen to also run for DFMC. My sister, Vanessa Federico, is BRCA1+ and beginning her risk-reducing experience. One month after the marathon she is facing her double mastectomy. My three children also have a 50% risk of testing positive for this genetic mutation. At times it has felt never-ending, but we view this race as my 26.2-mile victory lap.
April 17, will be a core memory for my children. Should my children face the same diagnosis, may they lean into the community and remember their family always aiming for time, technology, and research to continue to be on their side. I’m running in memory of my Auntie Katie. Her legacy of love, strength, and grace lives on in us all.
Editor’s note: Entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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