iPromise, Ed Scanlon, kidney cancer patient

"I spent more than a decade supporting and even participating in Polo on the Prairie by playing on a team, announcing the matches and joining in the fellowship. I never dreamed that I was going to wind up a beneficiary of all those efforts, but I did.

When I was first diagnosed with kidney cancer in April 2018, my urologist in Dallas wanted to cut it out immediately. I said, 'I have friends at MD Anderson. I think I'm going there first.'

The lead doctor on my team was a surgeon, and he stressed the importance of assembling my team to evaluate the problem and develop the best path moving forward.

The team would consist of a pulmonary interventionist, a medical oncologist and others. He said, 'There are a lot of people on your team. I happen to be the captain, and if the time comes when we have to cut it out, that's my job.'

At MD Anderson, no one jumps to conclusions. Every case is an individual case. You get your own team, they bring you the people they think they need to address your problem and then they address it. Shortly after my initial visit, I had my left kidney removed and a whole lot of cancer with it. My entire experience there has built my confidence, and all of the people I've encountered there have been positive. My experience reflects the importance of philanthropy to support critical cancer research and cancer patient care initiatives ― including the efforts of West Texans in support of Polo on the Prairie and the continued efforts of countless donors across the nation."

Do you promise? Tell us why you're committed to Making Cancer History® by sending an email to promise@mdanderson.org.