Brian Damage
01-20-2010, 10:09 PM
Jennifer Lyon, who placed fourth on Survivor: Palau in 2005, died at her home in Oregon Tuesday night, PEOPLE has confirmed. She was 37.
The reality TV star was first diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer a few months after she wrapped Survivor, and opted for a modified, radical bilateral mastectomy, followed by courses of chemotherapy and tamoxifen, a drug used to prevent recurrence.
"In the summer of 2004, I felt something in my right breast that didn't feel normal," Lyon told PEOPLE in October 2005. "I thought it was probably scar tissue related to my breast implants. So I let it go – for a long time."
Being on the CBS competition boosted her spirits and provided an inner strength to battle her disease. "Survivor taught me there's an end in sight," she told PEOPLE. "As hard as it is, it will be over, and you have to appreciate every day."
http://www.people.com/people/news/0,,,00.html
The reality TV star was first diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer a few months after she wrapped Survivor, and opted for a modified, radical bilateral mastectomy, followed by courses of chemotherapy and tamoxifen, a drug used to prevent recurrence.
"In the summer of 2004, I felt something in my right breast that didn't feel normal," Lyon told PEOPLE in October 2005. "I thought it was probably scar tissue related to my breast implants. So I let it go – for a long time."
Being on the CBS competition boosted her spirits and provided an inner strength to battle her disease. "Survivor taught me there's an end in sight," she told PEOPLE. "As hard as it is, it will be over, and you have to appreciate every day."
http://www.people.com/people/news/0,,,00.html