Melinda Toldyné Gábor – Patient Testimony

Breast cancer patient treated at Amethyst Radiotherapy Austria for Brain Metastases in August 2022.

At 41, Melinda was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer and began a years-long journey through multiple rounds of treatment and recurrence.

After her initial diagnosis, she underwent chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and a mastectomy, and was declared cancer-free in early 2020. A recurrence in 2021, presenting as lung and pleura tumors, was later confirmed as a metastasis of her breast cancer, but she again responded well to intensive treatment and recovered.

Up until then, her lung metastases had responded well to treatment, and follow-up scans showed no signs of disease progression — until July 2022, when she developed persistent headaches while on vacation in Croatia with her family, followed by balance problems and an unsteady gait. After returning home, her condition rapidly worsened with severe dizziness, visual disturbances, and vomiting. She was admitted to hospital, where scans confirmed metastatic disease in the brain and thyroid.

She started medication to reduce brain swelling and was told that whole-brain radiation therapy was her only option, with doctors recommending WBRT treatment. However, she refused WBRT after learning about its potential long-term cognitive side effects.

While still in hospital, a friend told Melinda about Amethyst Radiotherapy in Vienna and its VMAT treatment option, which could better preserve brain function. That night, she emailed the clinic.

The next morning, she received a call from an Amethyst specialist in Hungarian, who explained that VMAT could treat her condition while sparing healthy brain tissue and protecting cognitive function. Melinda recalls thinking it sounded “too good to be true.”

After speaking with the Amethyst team, Melinda felt confident she had found the right place for treatment of her brain metastases, where communication was quick, accurate, and smooth.

After her conversation with the specialist, the radiation oncologist called her directly – and within the week she was scheduled for an in-person consultation with radiation oncologist, Dr. Kuczer.

In Vienna, she was assessed by Dr. Kuczer, and her treatment plan was prepared within a week. Just two weeks after first contacting Amethyst, she began the first of ten sessions of VMAT radiotherapy.

At the start of treatment, Melinda was in a wheelchair and extremely weak due to brain metastases, with severe fatigue and loss of coordination requiring assistance to attend sessions.

She describes this period as the most frightening part of her cancer journey, as it was her third recurrence and involved her brain. While waiting for treatment at Amethyst, she was largely bedbound and recalls that it felt like her last hope.

“I was kind of dying. I couldn’t do my typical daily stuff – I couldn’t help my kids, my husband. I was just lying on the bed and waiting for the treatment.”

She says she was initially nervous about treatment and possible side effects, but her experience was very positive. She particularly highlights the kindness and support of the staff, who were attentive and always willing to answer her questions and concerns.

“I think Amethyst is fantastic in communication.” (…) “They have modern treatment, high-tech technology, and everybody is so kind. You can ask anything, anytime.”

Throughout treatment, Melinda experienced significant improvements in mobility and coordination. By the end of her treatment course, she no longer required a wheelchair. Follow-up imaging showed an excellence response to treatment.

Melinda at Turkenschanz Park, Vienna, during her treatment.

She says she has been recommending Amethyst for years, as people often ask how she recovered from her condition. Despite having aggressive brain metastases and being wheelchair-bound, she is now fully mobile and living normally.

Today, Melinda is in excellent health and lives an active life, continuing to work as a risk IT advisor and raising her children, now 14 and 17 years old. In her free time, she loves to watch movies, do Zumba, and spend time with her family. She continues to advocate for cancer survivors by sharing her story and is active amongst many charities in Budapest. Melinda runs a blog, which she started at the beginning of her cancer diagnosis in 2019, and published a book in 2025, Még A Rák Sem Bír Velem. She is currently writing her second book.

Melinda raising awareness for breast cancer through her personal story.

“I always wanted to help people in my experience,” says Melinda, when asked what inspired her to start documenting her cancer journey.

Today, Melinda continues to stress the importance of early detection and not ignoring symptoms. Despite going through very dark periods during her illness, she encourages others to stay positive, sharing her message through her book, blog, and speaking engagements.

“Don’t waste your time, because the time is your life.”

Melinda promoting her book Még A Rák Sem Bír Velem (“Not Even Cancer Can Handle Me”)