From Breast Cancer Back to Bull’s Eyes  

Kirsten Dahl knows plenty about targets, so when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of HER2+ breast cancer, she devised her own unique brand of targeted cancer therapy.  

In addition to heeding the advice of her medical team, Dahl focused on the one thing she most missed to help her get through nearly two years of surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and reconstruction—her love for the sport of darts. Not even setbacks like arm infections and a herniated disc could deter her.  

The bull’s eye approach worked, and Dahl is now back to doing what she loves: making bull’s eyes. 

Dahl, 60, is a world-ranked darts player who has competed in tournaments nationally and internationally for decades. Once she told her clinical team at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center at Milford Regional Medical Center her desire to return to the game at a high level, they worked with her to make it a reality, including referral to a physical therapist so she could regain strength in her dart-throwing arm more quickly after surgery. 

Now four years cancer-free, and playing darts regularly again, Dahl says she scored big when it came to her cancer care. 

“I simply can’t imagine a more supportive, compassionate, and competent group of people,” says Dahl. “Because of the incredible spirit at Dana-Farber, I never felt hopeless even when I was going through infections, high fevers, and everything else. I just trusted my team, and they helped me get back.” 

Chance Discovery 

Growing up in western Massachusetts, where she still lives, Dahl was a top-notch horsewoman and sailor who loved the thrill of competition. When she learned to throw darts in 1995, she was drawn to the challenge and camaraderie of the game. Shortly thereafter, she joined a local Tuesday-evening darts league, even though it meant abandoning another favorite pastime: singing in a classical choir that rehearsed the same night. 

“The great thing about darts is you can play anywhere,” explains Dahl. “You don’t need a lot of money, equipment, or space, and I love that I’ll never master the game. There is always something to learn or get better at.” 

In time Dahl became captain of her Tuesday-night team, and a nationally ranked player competing in tournaments around the country. She fit these in around working full-time, raising her daughter, Hannah, and other activities. 

 Then, in January 2018, a chance discovery disrupted this full and fulfilling life. Dahl was readying to take a hot shower when she inadvertently touched a five-centimeter lump on her right breast. She was alarmed enough to have her primary care physician (PCP) examine the lump the next day. 

“My PCP felt it and said, ‘Oh, don’t worry, that’s not cancer,’” Dahl recalls. “I said, ‘Well, can we at least have it looked at to make sure?’” 

Dahl’s insistence led to an ultrasound, and then a biopsy. After waiting 10 days for the results, Dahl called her PCP’s office and learned she did indeed have cancer. Distressed by both the news and the initial misdiagnosis, Dahl decided to switch her care to a facility specializing in oncology. 

This initial impression was a harbinger of what was to come. Dahl received what she calls “wonderful care” from her Dana-Farber team in Milford, led by oncologist Natalie Sinclair, MD, and including oncology nurse Mary-Beth Proulx, BSN, RN, and physician assistant Emily Joyal, PA-C. After surgery to remove her tumor—which Dahl dubbed “Sylvia” because she felt it was big enough to deserve a name—she went through five months of chemotherapy, 25 radiation treatments, and several more months of immunotherapy. Then, after a six-month break, Dahl had breast reconstruction surgery in December 2019. 

“I was very familiar with Dana-Farber Brigham at Milford, because it’s just five minutes from where I live,” says Dahl. “When I called them up and explained my situation, I’ll never forget how nice the woman was as she said, ‘Don’t you worry. We will take care of you.’” 

“ Kirsten showed immense grace under pressure,” says Sinclair. “She underwent tough multi drug therapy for her breast cancer with a sense of calm, a smile, and generous dose of humor. I’m not surprised she’s a champion darts player.“ 

Center-Circle Days 

Dahl felt compelled to bond with and educate other patients by chronicling her cancer journey blog-style. She created a Facebook page she called “Kirsten’s Cancer – Sylvia’s Got to Go,” where she shared tips for getting through side-effects, the challenges of clinical setbacks, and her desire to return to competitive darts. When she posed questions, such as “what to do when your eyebrows and eyelashes fall out,” advice poured in from fellow cancer survivors. 

Not surprisingly, Dahl’s blogging also drew online encouragement from the darts world. This included a video posted on the day of her first surgery, in which dozens of competitors at a North Carolina tournament shouted “Kick Sylvia’s Butt!” in unison. It was just one more example of how much darts enriched Dahl’s world.  

In addition to making lifelong friends through the sport, she met her husband of two years, Mark, when he joined her Tuesday-night team. Her daughter, Hannah, is also a top-notch player who was once ranked No. 1 in the Girls Youth division by the American Darts Organization (ADO). Hannah met her husband, Danny, as teenagers on the same junior squad. 

And in 2024, after recovering from her cancer-related physical challenges, Dahl fulfilled a 30-year goal by competing in the World Darts Federation’s World Masters tournament in Budapest, Hungary as a member of the ADO. 

“Playing internationally and representing my country is the highest honor I can imagine,” says Dahl. 

When it comes to center-circle moments, however, it would be hard to top what happened one day in early 2022. Dahl had just won her first singles competition since her cancer diagnosis, and called Mark to share the news. She told him she’d be home soon to celebrate. 

When Dahl walked in, Mark let her know he’d been practicing his dart skills too. “The board was hanging in the living room, and I noticed all the darts bunched in the middle. I asked him, ‘Did you get six bull’s eyes?’” Mark urged her to take a closer look. 

Dahl approached the board and noticed that six darts were holding something else up in the dead center circle—an engagement ring. 

“The next day we went back to the tournament, with me wearing the ring, to celebrate with our friends,” Dahl reflects. “In addition to great care, like I had at Dana-Farber, it’s so important to have a community that embraces you through and beyond cancer.”