I'm not here to make cancer pretty.
I'm Courtney. I talk about incurable cancer, survivorship, medical dismissal, mental health, and everything toxic positivity tries to edit out.
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@cancercourtney
Cancer, survivorship, medical gaslighting, mental health, and the unfiltered parts.
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The life happening between appointments, advocacy, motherhood, and everything else.
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Media features
Interviews and reporting about Courtney's diagnosis, treatment, and self-advocacy.
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About Courtney
Cancer is part of my story. It does not get to narrate the whole thing.
Courtney Liniewski is a Wisconsin-based cancer advocate, crisis counselor, mother, and creator behind Cancer Courtney. She shares the unfiltered reality of cancer and survivorship, challenges medical dismissal, and makes space for the emotions toxic positivity leaves out.
Her work also explores mental health, motherhood, medical misdiagnosis, and the complicated reality of advocating for yourself inside systems that do not always listen the first time.
Business and media inquiries
In treatment, 2022
For four years, I thought I had one lymphoma. Mayo found two.
In 2022, Courtney was diagnosed with grade 3B follicular lymphoma, sometimes described as "triple-hit." In May 2026, Mayo Clinic reviewed the original biopsy and identified two distinct lymphomas: high-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements, and follicular lymphoma grades 1–2.
Earlier interviews and articles reflect the diagnosis she had been given at the time. They remain part of the story, but they are not the final word.
Read the August 2026 SurvivorNet follow-upPress & media
Courtney in the media
11 interviews & features
Lymphoma Research Foundation
Courtney, B-Cell Lymphoma
Courtney shares how her lymphoma diagnosis evolved after a specialist pathology review, what survivorship has taught her, and why patients deserve clear answers and the confidence to advocate for themselves.
MD Newsline
Misdiagnosed With Migraines and Anxiety
Courtney shares her journey to a follicular lymphoma diagnosis, what it was like to have serious symptoms dismissed, and why patient self-advocacy matters.
MD Newsline
Courtney Liniewski’s Journey with Follicular Lymphoma
The written companion to Courtney’s MD Newsline interview covers the symptoms initially attributed to migraines and anxiety, her lymphoma diagnosis, and the importance of being heard in medical care.
SurvivorNet
Nearly four years later, Mayo found the diagnosis was wrong
A follow-up on Courtney’s Mayo pathology review, corrected composite lymphoma diagnosis, continued remission, and why specialist review and self-advocacy matter.
UNILAD
The symptom I dismissed as sitting too long
Courtney discusses the back pain she initially brushed off, the symptoms that followed, and why patients must keep pushing when something feels wrong.
The Sun
I heard a loud bang, then my face began to droop
Courtney shares how symptoms first attributed to a migraine and panic attack became part of a much larger cancer story.
Daily Mail
Doctors said it was a panic attack
A first-person account of dismissal, worsening symptoms, and the vacation discovery that led Courtney back to medical care.
Newsweek
The symptom dismissed as a migraine before a rare cancer diagnosis
Courtney discusses the long road to answers, receiving a life-changing diagnosis at 31, and why she advocates for younger patients.
SurvivorNet
Migraines and anxiety turned out to be lymphoma
A profile centered on self-advocacy, early warning signs, and Courtney's mission to help others trust what their bodies are telling them.
The Patient Story
They dismissed my cancer symptoms for anxiety
Courtney tells her full story in her own words, from the first symptoms and medical dismissal through chemotherapy and remission.
The Patient Story
From shock to strength: A young mom's lymphoma story
The written companion to Courtney's interview, covering diagnosis, treatment, motherhood, survivorship, and community.
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