How a teen found "a sense of control" as she fought cancer

Alayna Riozzi-Bodine was a high school senior preparing for the upcoming school year when she suddenly felt utterly exhausted. Her mother noticed a golf ball sized mass on her right clavicle, leading to a series of medical appointments and tests. Riozzi-Bodine was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin's lymphoma in September 2021. The diagnosis was shocking and devastating, especially for a young woman who was active in athletics.

She questioned her mortality and feared losing her identity through treatment, particularly her hair. Lymphomas affect immune cells, and Hodgkin's typically presents with an enlarged lymph node, fatigue, weight loss, fevers, or drenching night sweats. The first line of treatment is chemotherapy, but Riozzi-Bodine sought to preserve her future fertility and prevent hair loss through a cold cap, which was initially not approved for her type of cancer.

She became the first pediatric patient at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to undergo this treatment, feeling a sense of control in an otherwise uncontrollable situation. Riozzi-Bodine underwent eight sessions of chemotherapy and was declared cancer-free after her freshman year of college. However, a scan discovered a small abnormality a year later, confirming the cancer had returned.

The aggressive recurrence required a different treatment plan, including immunotherapy, more chemotherapy, and a stem cell transplant. Despite the challenges, Riozzi-Bodine remained positive, with her nurses making her treatment days enjoyable. Two years later, scans confirmed she remains cancer-free.