Hope Rises Again: Support Denise’s Second Fight

In March of 2017, Denise Malmberg (then Manchester) was diagnosed with Stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (Breast Cancer). Over the course of several months, she went through chemotherapy and radiation before a lumpectomy to ultimately remove what was left of the tumor. We were told that if the cancer didn't come back in the next 5 years we were out of the woods. We hit the 5 year mark and collectively exhaled.

Flash forward to 2025.

In March of 2025 following an abnormal pap smear, she was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer. This resulted in a referral to the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Gynecological Oncology department where in April she had a cone biopsy that showed Invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma that involved all 4 quadrants of the cervix and had invaded the lymphovascular space. In May a PET scan at UNMC showed potential early parametrial invasion and potential nodal metastases on her external illiac lymph nodes.

Initial staging of the cancer following the biopsy was 1B3, however following the PET scan and additional testing it has been changed to 3C1 - as her gynecologic oncologist has said, she has a "very evolving diagnosis."

This has been a long road of testing to get to this point and we haven't even started treatment. Treatment is anticipated to consist of chemoradiation, internal radiation (which can only be done at UNMC in Omaha), and long-term immunotherapy maintenance for the next 2 years. Next steps involve meeting with radiation oncologists and finally, beginning treatment - nearly 3 months after initial diagnosis. Thankfully, much of the treatment can be completed in Shenandoah, however a good portion of it must be done in Omaha at UNMC due to their advanced capacaties.

As you can imagine, this road has been filled with missed work and numerous trips to Omaha and it's only just beginning. As of now, we are anticipating that she will need 5 weeks of daily radiation with a handful of those days including chemotherapy, as well as 5 days of internal radiation which will take a full day to complete.

We anticipate her maxing out her PTO and Sick Leave quickly with this treatment plan, and that's if all goes well and she doesn't have any side effects from treatment. I've started this GoFundMe in anticipation of the missed work, and bills that are about to start piling up from treatment over the next few years.