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Stage IV lung cancer survivor: Why you should start your treatment at MD Anderson
After watching my grandmother die with emphysema, I resolved never to smoke. So, when I was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer — and told I had less than year to live — I thought, “This can’t be happening.”
I just didn’t make the connection, even though I’d had a persistent cough for a few months, been losing weight without trying, felt a heaviness in my chest and even begun coughing up blood. I thought, “How can I possibly have lung cancer? I’ve never lived in a household with smokers, and I’ve never smoked anything myself.”
At the time of my diagnosis in December 2019, I was only 43. My kids were 14, 13 and 9. I didn’t know how to look my 9-year-old in the face and tell him, “Baby, I’m so sorry, but Mommy has terminal lung cancer.”
Webinar invitation leads to life-changing revelation
Once I got over my initial shock, I started educating myself. I learned very quickly that I would never really be considered in remission. As a stage IV lung cancer patient, I would always need to be on some form of treatment.
I sought that treatment initially near my home in Kentucky. It was OK at first. I was prescribed a daily oral targeted therapy agent called osimertinib, because I tested positive for a genetic mutation known as EGFR. I also had a type of radiation therapy called SBRT.
But I knew that the walnut-sized mass in my right lung might still be sending out cancer cells to colonize other places. So, I wanted the “mothership” removed. No one around here would even consider it. Everyone said I didn’t qualify for surgery because I’d already had radiation to the lungs.
It wasn’t until Dr. Mara Antonoff and Dr. Carl Gay asked a member of the Young Lung Cancer Initiative to moderate a webinar for them in July 2024 that I realized that might not actually be accurate anymore.
How lung surgery became possible, even with stage IV cancer
Dr. Gay and Dr. Antonoff reached out to me because I’d started that non-profit organization with two girlfriends for lung cancer patients under age 50. The three of us were all frustrated by the lack of good information and resources available online, so we launched our own website for people in that demographic. It spread like wildfire. Soon, we were interacting regularly there with lung cancer experts like Dr. Gay and Dr. Antonoff, as well as their colleague, Dr. Eric Singhi.
My a-ha moment didn’t arrive, though, until the very end of that webinar. The topic was “Surgery in stage IV lung cancer patients.” The last question we took was from a member of the audience. She described her diagnosis to the panel, then asked if she might qualify for surgery. The woman’s situation sounded very similar to mine. So, I sat up and took notice when Dr. Antonoff responded, “Well, I can’t be sure without evaluating your individual case in more detail. But I don’t see why not. It’s certainly worth a consultation.”
Pathology report shows surgery was the right call
I made an appointment with Dr. Antonoff at MD Anderson a few days later. After conducting her own examination and looking through all of my scans, records and test results, she said, “Well, you’ve got a lot of scar tissue in the part of the right lung that was irradiated, but we really don’t know what’s going on at a cellular level without taking it out and looking at it under a microscope. I think we could do this.”
I agreed wholeheartedly. Dr. Antonoff performed a lobectomy on me at MD Anderson on Oct. 29, 2024. She removed the tumor as well as the middle lobe of my right lung.
When we got the pathology report back, I was so thankful we’d pushed forward. Dr. Antonoff said that about 90% of the tumor cells were dead. But the remaining 10% still had active cancer in them, even though I’d been on targeted therapy for almost five years. That made removing the tumor absolutely the right decision.
My life expectancy went from 6 months to 10+ years
It’s only been a few weeks since my lobectomy surgery. But I am already back to walking 45 minutes a day, and I feel fantastic.
Dr. Antonoff told me that patients in some clinical trials have been living longer after having the same type of surgery I did. She said based on how healthy I was to begin with, she hoped that figure could extend to 20, or maybe even 30 years, for me.
When I heard that, I started crying. Because Dr. Antonoff saved my life and gave my kids back their mom. I know she can’t guarantee anything. But if she can give me just 10 more years, even my youngest child will be out of college. And that’s way different from leaving a 14-year-old without his mother.
Other doctors kept saying this surgery was too risky. But Dr. Antonoff was bold enough to think outside the box and tackle the hard jobs so that people like me could live. I consider that a miracle.
That’s why I tell everyone now not to waste their time at some piddly little community hospital, or to accept middle-of-the-road cancer care anywhere else. Start with MD Anderson. It is such a special place. They gave me a chance when no one else would. And, I am so thankful.
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.
Esophageal cancer caregiver: I’m grateful we came to MD Anderson
My husband, Gary, had been healthy and active before he began complaining of a backache at age 67. Then he started having trouble swallowing. Food just wouldn’t go down.
A doctor in our hometown of Russellville, Arkansas, ordered an endoscopy to examine Gary’s esophagus.
After reviewing the results, the doctor pulled me aside. "It’s not good,” he said. “Your husband has esophageal cancer.”
The tumor was at the end of his esophagus, the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. That explained Gary’s backaches and swallowing problems.
I struggled to comprehend his words. Things went fuzzy. “What?” I thought. “He can’t have cancer.”
The doctor offered little hope. He told us to go home and focus on Gary’s comfort.
For a few days, I grieved. I struggled to adjust to the changes that came along with Gary’s diagnosis. The tumor had grown so large that he was unable to eat solid food. He’d have to stick to diet of purees and soups.
“Just breathe, Mama, breathe,” my oldest daughter kept saying to me.
Esophageal cancer experts gave us confidence with specialized treatment plan
I decided to take action. I called MD Anderson. That turned out to be the best decision ever. We were given an appointment, and within a few days, we were in Houston.
As soon as we walked through the doors of MD Anderson on June 11, 2018, we felt hope.
Radiation oncologist Stephen Chun, M.D., was the first doctor we met. He was brilliant and positive, and put us at ease. He told us about proton therapy, a type of radiation therapy that uses a beam of protons to deliver radiation directly to the tumor, destroying cancer cells while sparing healthy tissues. Dr. Chun believed proton therapy, along with chemotherapy, could shrink Gary’s tumor, making it easier to surgically remove.
Each doctor we met was so confident and supportive. Thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon Ara Vaporciyan, M.D., sketched Gary’s tumor in my notebook and showed us how he planned to remove the tumor with a surgery called a transthoracic esophagectomy. First, he’d remove the cancerous portion of the esophagus. Then, through a second incision, he’d pull Gary’s stomach up into his chest and connect it to the remaining upper-third of the esophagus.
“This is doable!” I remember him saying with a smile. “Go get the proton therapy and chemotherapy and plenty of rest. Then we’ll do surgery.”
“What? You mean you can help him?” I thought. “Oh, my! Praise God!”
My husband’s esophageal cancer treatment
For six weeks, Gary underwent proton therapy Monday through Friday, and chemotherapy every Wednesday. He typically suffered from nausea after chemotherapy. An MD Anderson dietitian taught us about foods that would help him feel full without upsetting his stomach.
During this time, we stayed in Houston at a nearby condo, driving back to Arkansas only a few times. Our three adult children called and texted us frequently to check in, and our six grandchildren sent us handmade artwork to lift our spirits.
After Gary completed chemotherapy and proton therapy, we returned home to Arkansas for two months to rest and prepare for his surgery. On Oct. 24, 2018, Dr. Vaporciyan successfully performed the transthoracic esophagectomy. After Gary’s seven-day hospital stay, we moved to an apartment near MD Anderson. We stayed there for 48 days while Gary recovered.
Helping my husband with his feeding tube
During this time, I gave Gary his liquid meals and medicine through a feeding tube. I was initially nervous. I’m a retired school teacher, not a nurse. But I took classes for caregivers at MD Anderson and learned how to do it.
Whenever I had questions or needed help, Gary’s care team took my calls and walked me through the steps. It didn’t matter if it was 2 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Once when Gary had extreme nausea, I reached out to his care team. They explained that he was likely dehydrated, and walked me how to give him water through an IV attached to his feeding tube. We saw immediate changes to Gary’s nausea level.
Then, just before Christmas, we received the best news. Gary was cancer-free, and we could return home.
One day at a time
Looking back, we got through that period one day at a time. After Gary had had his feeding tube removed, he was gradually able to begin eating regular foods.
The journey wasn’t easy for Gary or for me as his caregiver, but it was certainly worthwhile. And none of it would have been possible if we hadn’t made that call to MD Anderson.
Request an appointment online at MD Anderson or by calling 1-877-632-6789.
Coping with a lung cancer diagnosis at age 18
As an 18-year-old, Lauren Rodriguez never suspected her lingering cough would turn out to be a lung cancer symptom.
“I was in shock,” Lauren says of her lung cancer diagnosis. “I never suspected something like that.”
Today, Lauren’s cancer-free, thanks to her MD Anderson care team. But cancer has changed how the now-19-year-old views life.
“I’ve been given a second chance,” she says.
The first lung cancer symptoms
In February 2017, Lauren developed a cough that wouldn’t go away. The then-high school senior knew it wasn’t asthma — like the doctors in her hometown of Mansfield, Texas, had said. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it kept getting worse. At times, she coughed up blood, or coughed so much she became sick to her stomach. Appointment after appointment left her with few answers.
In June 2017, she saw a pulmonologist in nearby Dallas, who ran a CT scan. The scan revealed a very small carcinoid tumor on one of her lungs.
Lauren had never smoked, and, aside from the cough, she’d never had trouble breathing. She had planned on starting classes the following month at Tarrant County College, but decided to delay her studies to focus on her lung cancer treatment.
Coming to MD Anderson for a second opinion
Lauren’s fears continued to grow after she saw a lung cancer surgeon in Dallas. There, the care team outlined a complicated surgery, which would require multiple incisions and chest tubes to help her breathe after surgery. While the chest tubes would only be temporary, she would still have to leave the hospital with them. She was nervous about the risk of infection or injury.
Spotting her daughter’s anxiety, Lauren’s mom suggested they seek a second opinion at MD Anderson. Lauren wanted to get the surgery over with, but she listened to her mom as she described the cancer center’s world-class reputation and finally agreed.
Choosing MD Anderson in Sugar Land for lung cancer treatment
On July 26, 2017, Lauren and her mom drove nearly four hours to see lung cancer surgeon Mara Antonoff, M.D. at MD Anderson in Sugar Land.
“From the moment I met her, I knew this was the surgeon I needed,” Lauren says. “She was so nice and down to earth. She was easy to talk to.”
Antonoff outlined the surgery she planned to perform. She would use a surgical technique that only required one incision and one chest tube, which would be removed before Lauren left the hospital.
“I was so relieved,” Lauren says.
Undergoing lung cancer surgery during Hurricane Harvey
On Aug. 25, 2017, Lauren underwent lung cancer surgery at MD Anderson’s Texas Medical Center Campus. The surgery went smoothly, and Lauren was declared cancer-free.
That same day, Hurricane Harvey made landfall. Lauren’s family members, who were staying at a local hotel, had to evacuate to another one nearby. Meanwhile, Lauren and her mom looked out onto Houston’s flooded streets from the observation deck on Floor 24 of MD Anderson’s Main Building.
“Outside of the hospital, it looked like chaos, but inside, everything ran smoothly,” Lauren says. “The staff was constantly checking to make sure we were comfortable.”
Seven days later, Lauren and her family returned home, happy to leave both lung cancer and Hurricane Harvey behind them.
Life after lung cancer treatment
Today, Lauren is taking classes at Tarrant County College and making plans to transfer to a larger school next year. She returns to MD Anderson every six months for follow-up scans.
Lauren says she feels lucky. Her cancer treatment seemed easy compared to some patients she’s known. But the experience has left her with more than just a scar.
“I have a better heart and a better head on my shoulders,” she says. “It’s changed who I am as a person.”
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling 1-877-632-6789.
B-cell lymphoma survivor: MD Anderson’s expertise saved me and my pregnancy
When I was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma in August 2023, I wasn’t really frightened for myself. I was more worried about my pregnancy. At the time, I was only about four weeks along with my third child, Catherine, and chemotherapy during the first trimester was not really an option.
Two months is a long time to put off cancer treatment, especially with a disease this aggressive. I knew it would be risky. So, I was extremely grateful to find Dr. Sairah Ahmed and MD Anderson.
Dr. Ahmed is one of two MD Anderson lymphoma specialists who works with pregnant patients regularly. She told me she had helped other women in similar situations. It was so comforting to hear that other pregnant patients had gone through this, too, and that they and their babies had turned out fine.
My B-cell lymphoma diagnosis
I didn’t even know I was pregnant until a few days before my diagnosis. I found out just before having an X-ray and some other scans to determine the cause of severe chest pain. It turned out to be a softball-sized mass, squeezed between my heart and lung, right behind my sternum. A biopsy showed it was primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The doctors near my home in Lafayette didn’t know what to do. They had treated some pregnant cancer patients, but most were in their second or third trimesters by the time they were diagnosed.
It was scary to be diagnosed with cancer so early in my pregnancy. But once I got to MD Anderson, I felt confident I would be well taken care of. They had done it all before. So, I never felt nervous.
My B-cell lymphoma symptoms
Dr. Ahmed planned for me to start chemotherapy at the beginning of my second trimester. I could have the infusions administered locally near my home in Louisiana.
But the cancer was advancing fast and my cancer symptoms were starting to frighten me. I had drenching night sweats, constant coughing, and a heavy sense of pressure in my chest. I was also getting very little sleep, choking on my food, and my neck was twice its normal size due to swelling.
The disease put so much stress on my heart that I had to be temporarily sedated and put on a ventilator. I ended up starting chemotherapy a week early, in the hopes that it would help stabilize me.
Why I needed a feeding tube
After the first round of chemotherapy, one of the lymph nodes in my chest got so big that it compressed my trachea, compromising my breathing. I had to have a stent put in to keep it open. That was pretty scary. But the hardest part of my cancer treatment turned out to be a fistula — or abnormal hole — that developed between my esophagus and trachea after the second round of chemotherapy.
This meant that anything I ate or drank could get into my lungs, making pneumonia a constant threat. I couldn’t swallow anything at all, not even my saliva.
The only way to correct this problem was surgery. But the surgery was so complex that Dr. Ahmed consulted with thoracic surgeon Dr. Mara Antonoff, and the team made the decision to hold off until after I’d completed cancer treatment and delivered my daughter.
They also consulted with head and neck surgeon Dr. Anastasios Maniakas and plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Shay. Then, they referred me to a high-risk obstetrician who could monitor my pregnancy until I delivered and made plans to perform the surgery soon afterward.
Until then, I needed a way to drain fluid from my esophagus and get nutrition into my body. So, I had a temporary stomach draining tube and feeding tube put in by one of Dr. Antonoff’s colleagues, thoracic surgeon, Dr. Wayne Hofstetter.
My B-cell lymphoma treatment
I finished five rounds of “EPOCH” chemotherapy and one round of “R-CHOP” chemotherapy in mid-February. I had a scheduled C-section on March 14, 2024, at 33 weeks. My daughter was tiny — just 2 pounds, 14 ounces. But her anatomy was perfect, and she was breathing fine. She stayed in the NICU for a month to grow. Now, she weighs nearly 10 pounds and is thriving.
I had surgery at MD Anderson to repair my esophagus and remove part of my trachea on May 2. It required a big team: one plastic surgeon, two thoracic surgeons, and a head and neck surgeon. Each one met with me personally to tell me their role in either the surgery or the backup plan, and they all checked in on me afterward to see how I was doing. I really appreciated that.
The procedure itself was very complex; it took almost 14 hours. But everything went well, and I’m feeling good and getting my strength and weight back.
Dr. Ahmed and her colleagues suspected I was cancer-free after chemotherapy, but they couldn’t be sure until I had scans after delivery. I am pleased to report that they were right: I am officially in remission. So, aside from the surgery I needed to repair the fistula, I won’t require any other cancer treatment.
My life today: cancer-free and almost back to normal, just like I wanted
Today, I feel like a new person. I hadn’t eaten real food in about eight months before the surgery, but after a couple of weeks of healing, I was able to start swallowing purees again. Gradually, I moved back into solid foods, and now I’m eating everything.
I’ll have to wait a little longer before I can drink liquids, though. My vocal cords still don’t close completely when I swallow. Solids are not an issue. But a nerve damaged by the cancer has to finish healing before I can drink things comfortably again.
Aside from being cancer-free and able to eat again, the best news is that I’m back to being a mom and engaging in almost all of my normal activities. That was all I ever really wanted, so even though I’m still healing, my life is great. And I am so thankful to MD Anderson for giving it back to me.
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.
Facing esophageal cancer at age 26
Throughout his esophageal cancer treatment, Ross Bernkrant never once looked up the survival rates.
“I knew it wasn’t good,” he says. “I just repeated to myself, ‘I am a statistic of one.’”
Ross’ cancer diagnosis was a statistical outlier from the start. Esophageal cancer is rare. It makes up about 1% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States. It’s even more rare in young patients – fewer than 15% of cases are found in people younger than 55. But Ross was just 26 when he received his diagnosis.
And because esophageal cancer is so rare, it can be difficult to treat.
“I’m very fortunate that I came to MD Anderson,” Ross says. “I’ve been cancer-free for eight years, and I don’t know if I could say that if I had stayed at another hospital.”
Ross received his esophageal cancer diagnosis in May 2013. He had been experiencing extreme fatigue and figured it was because he’d been working so much, trying to build his career in finance. But he was having trouble swallowing his food, too. Something seemed wrong.
- Related: Esophageal cancer symptoms
A gastroenterologist performed an endoscopy and found a large tumor. Ross then saw an oncologist in Boca Raton, where he lived. He underwent a CT scan and was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. The cancer had spread through a large portion of his esophagus and down through his diaphragm, stomach and lymph nodes. It was considered stage III, possibly stage IV.
Ross was scared. He couldn’t believe he was dealing with a diagnosis that typically only impacted older men. He didn’t have any of the esophageal cancer risk factors. He didn’t use tobacco. He exercised, maintained a healthy weight and was otherwise healthy. Ross and his family began asking about the best place for esophageal cancer treatment. Over and over again, they heard MD Anderson.
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy at MD Anderson
At MD Anderson, Ross met with Jaffer Ajani, M.D., an oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal medical oncology. Ross underwent a CT scan, and his cancer diagnosis was confirmed and restaged as stage III, borderline IV. They outlined his esophageal cancer treatment plan: weekly rounds of chemotherapy and concurrent daily radiation for just a little over a month. The goal was to shrink the cancer enough that it could be removed through surgery.
Ross moved to Houston for treatment with his mom and stepdad. Each Monday, he began his chemotherapy treatments and wore a chemo bag containing his weekly dose of docetaxel and 5-fluorouracil. The bag was connected by a tube to his chemo port so he could receive ongoing infusions.
Shortly after starting treatment, he began to experience nausea in the mornings. His mom suggested he wake up in the middle of the night to eat crackers and drink water so he’d feel better when he woke up. It was a trick she had used when dealing with morning sickness while she was pregnant with Ross and his siblings. He never experienced nausea again after that.
Toward the end of his treatment, the radiation began to cause pain.
“It felt like I was swallowing with a sunburn on my throat,” says Ross. “I didn’t have much of an appetite.”
Through it all, Ross hoped the treatment was working.
“I was kind of on pins and needles for a month and a half,” he says. “You do all this, but you don’t know how the cancer’s responding.”
Fortunately, Ross’ cancer responded positively.
“I’ll never forget what the pathology report said. In fact, it’s saved as the background on my phone. It said, ‘Remarkable metabolic response.’ That was better than winning the lottery,” he says.
Surgery rounds out esophageal cancer treatment
The cancer had shrunk so small that it couldn’t be detected on the scan. Still, Ross met with surgeon Wayne Hofstetter, M.D., to discuss next steps. Hofstetter explained that if they didn’t perform surgery, there was still a chance that the cancer would return. If it did return, it would be harder to treat. They wouldn’t be able to perform radiation therapy on Ross’ esophagus a second time. But if Ross had surgery to remove the parts impacted by cancer, he was very likely to live to be an old man.
Ross agreed that surgery was the best option. He spent the next month and a half recovering from his initial treatment at his mom’s house in San Diego.
In August 2013, Hofstetter performed a seven-hour surgery. He removed two-thirds of Ross’ esophagus, several lymph nodes and one-third of his stomach, and then reconnected the remaining parts. After the surgery, pathologists found cancer cells still in the esophagus, too small for the original scans to detect.
“It made me extra glad we did the surgery,” Ross says.
But the recovery was difficult. Ross was unable to drink or eat following the surgery. For the first few days, he chewed on ice chips and had to spit them out because he couldn’t swallow. Eventually, he was able to drink, but had to rely on a feeding tube for a month a half. He stayed in the hospital for a week and in Houston for a month. His throat and mid-section hurt. But little by little, the pain started to go away, and he began to feel stronger.
Just before Ross was about to leave Houston to return to Florida, he was hospitalized with shingles. Because it was caught early, he was able to recover at his apartment. Once the virus was behind him, he was able to go home, cancer-free.
Life after esophageal cancer treatment
It’s been eight years since Ross’ cancer diagnosis.
Certain foods – mostly unhealthy ones, he says – can upset his now-smaller stomach. For the most part, though, he doesn’t notice many physical long-term side effects from cancer treatment. But it has changed how he lives his life.
Before cancer, Ross was focused on his career. But since then, he’s left his job in finance and began business partnerships with family and friends so he could spend more time with them. He values the time he spends with loved ones most of all and tries not to get too worried about little things.
“I’m actually really grateful for the experience. I have such a different perspective,” Ross says. “Most people don’t know how lucky they are just to be alive.”
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling 1-877-632-6789.
After clinical trial reveals lung cancer, survivor becomes early detection advocate
When Sherry Zorzi first picked up a cigarette as a teenager, she never dreamed that one day she’d be telling people not to smoke.
“Back then, it just seemed like an adult thing to do,” she says. “Most of my friends gave it up after a few years, but I was addicted.”
After her decade-older sister — also a longtime smoker — was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 2000, Sherry got scared. “I thought, ‘That’s you in 10 years if you don’t quit now,’” she says. So with her doctor’s help and a prescription for Wellbutrin, Sherry kicked the habit.
Chance encounter leads to clinical trial
Thirteen years later, Sherry passed through a room and overheard a news program that changed her life. It was about a new lung cancer screening program, and she immediately thought, “I need to do that.” The study was for people like Sherry – current and former smokers who’d smoked the equivalent of a pack a day for 30 years.
The Baton Rouge resident had her first scan done locally. The doctor saw something suspicious on the film, but it was small enough that he felt comfortable waiting another three months before taking another look.
“My daughter, who worked at MD Anderson at the time, said, ‘No, no, no. If anything’s wrong, you’re coming here,’” Sherry says.
Once at MD Anderson, Sherry entered a clinical trial for early lung cancer detection under Jeremy Erasmus, M.D. She had another scan, and Erasmus saw the same thing on the film. But the spot on Sherry’s lung didn’t seem to have grown, so she remained on the clinical trial for the next few years.
After Sherry’s screening in the fall of 2015, Erasmus decided to take a closer look at the area of concern. He referred her to Stephen Swisher, M.D.
A lung cancer diagnosis
Between November 2015 and February 2016, Sherry had a diagnostic CT scan, a PET scan and a biopsy, which revealed both bad news and good news.
The bad news was that Sherry had lung cancer. The good news was that “it was very small, and we caught it very early,” she says. “Because I had quit smoking in 2000, I also had very good lung function and was an excellent candidate for surgery. By the time the tissue biopsy was complete, Dr. Swisher said the remaining tumor was so small that it was technically not even considered cancer anymore.”
Nevertheless, Sherry chose to have the entire lower lobe of her right lung removed, rather than just the lesion, during a minimally invasive, video-assisted surgery that took place on March 7. One thing that particularly impressed her was how short the recovery period was.
“It was much easier than I was expecting,” Sherry says. “They went in through the back and put a camera in one incision and a drain in another. They didn’t even have to break the ribs, and they had me sitting up in a chair almost immediately afterwards. Everything just went so well. It was amazing.”
The poster child for lung cancer screening
Now, Sherry is urging every smoker she knows to quit — and both current and former smokers to get screened. She also encourages them to consider joining the same lung cancer screening clinical trial she did. Qualified participants have a CT scan, a spirometry test and some blood drawn during each screening. The goal is to identify blood proteins specific to people who eventually develop lung cancer, so that those who don’t have them can avoid unnecessary screening.
“Everyone has to weigh the risks and benefits for themselves, but this seemed like a no-brainer to me,” Sherry says. “I am a huge believer in being proactive. Anything that can help prevent or detect disease early is something people should take advantage of. The sooner it’s caught, the better your prognosis. So I feel like the poster child for both smoking cessation and early detection.”
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling 1-877-632-6789.
Vascular Surgery
A Surgical First for Houston
Lung cancer patient gets a second chance after lobectomy
It was a 5.5-cm tumor wrapped around Jason McFarland’s pulmonary artery that threatened to end his 20-year career as a police officer and, possibly, his life.
He’d sought medical attention after coughing up blood. But at age 42, he never suspected cancer.
The doctors near his hometown of Effingham, Illinois, weren’t optimistic about the diagnosis the X-rays and CT scans revealed: stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer.
“It’s going to take a Herculean effort to survive this cancer,” his doctor told him.
Jason would need surgery, and because of the tumor’s location, it wouldn’t be easy. The doctor told him it was unlikely he’d get to go back to work and there was a 30% chance he might not make it off the operating table at all.
Jason thought of his wife and three children. He thought of the career he loved. He decided to look for other odds.
Finding hope at MD Anderson
It was a friend who worked in an emergency room that recommended MD Anderson.
“If I were you, I’d be in Texas,” he told Jason.
A week later, Jason and his wife flew to Houston for an appointment. He met with his care team, which recommended four rounds of chemotherapy, and then a lobectomy, followed by radiation therapy.
Jason loved the comradery and compassion among MD Anderson staff and the other patients. But most of all he loved the hope his doctors gave him.
Remembering the odds his doctor back in Illinois had given him, he asked his new surgeon, David Rice, M.D., what the chances were that he wouldn’t survive the surgery. Rice told him 3%.
“Look, you’ve got a difficult case, but it’s just another Monday for us,” Rice told Jason.
“That’s when I thought, I really like this guy,” Jason says.
Jason’s lung cancer treatment: chemotherapy and a lobectomy
Jason completed four cycles of chemotherapy at home in Illinois. This shrunk the tumor down to half its original size. Then, he returned to MD Anderson for surgery: a left lower lobectomy, in which they removed the tumor, along with a portion of his lung.
The surgery was successful, and Jason’s recovery was smooth.
“My pain was very well managed while I was in the hospital. On a scale, of one to ten, ten being very painful, I don’t think it ever got over a three,” he says.
He was discharged from the hospital five days later.
Jason’s radiation therapy
Given the location of Jason’s cancer, his radiation oncologist, Michael O’Reilly, M.D., told him it was best that he come to MD Anderson for his radiation therapy, so he returned in early November. This was going to be a longer stay than any of his previous visits, so he and his dad rented an RV and made the trip together.
Jason had heard stories about the difficult side effects that often accompany radiation, but he said he was fortunate that he didn’t experience any of them.
He finished his last round of radiation on New Year’s Eve 2014. His scans showed no evidence of disease.
Moving forward after lung cancer treatment
So far, Jason’s scans have all been clear. His doctors believe it’s very unlikely that the cancer will return. And while he could do his annual scans closer to home, Jason still returns to MD Anderson simply because he likes to visit.
As for going back to work, Jason returned Jan. 15, 2014 – just a few weeks after finishing up treatment. He can’t do everything he once did, but he’s grateful to continue serving.
“When you’re snatched from the jaws of death, some teeth marks are expected,” he says.
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling 1-877-632-6789.
Taking charge of esophageal cancer treatment
Tim Orellano knew something was wrong when minimal physical activity made him short of breath. “Other than acid reflux, I considered myself very healthy,” says Tim, who has played tennis for decades.
So, in Feb. 2014, Tim went to his doctor in Little Rock, Arkansas. Bloodwork showed that his red blood cell count was very low, requiring blood transfusions.
An endoscopy found a bleeding ulcer, and a biopsy revealed the cause – esophageal cancer.
“I was in shock,” Tim says.
Choosing to take charge of esophageal cancer
Soon after receiving the news, Tim and his wife, Gina, focused on finding the best esophageal cancer treatment. “Cancer is probably even harder on a caregiver, but Gina was just awesome at offering support,” he says.
Tim knew he could feel sorry for himself, or he could take charge. “I decided I was going to attack this very aggressively,” Tim says. “I was going to own my cancer. It wasn’t going to own me.”
Tim created a binder with his health records and information pertaining to his esophageal cancer diagnosis. He wrote down questions, and began researching treatment options and seeking doctors’ opinions.
The search for a surgeon
While Tim knew he might need an esophagectomy, a surgical removal of his esophagus, he wanted to try an endoscopic mucosal resection procedure, which was less invasive and would potentially allow him to retain his esophagus.
Tim sought a specialist who was both knowledgeable and personable. But he wasn’t happy with many of the doctors he considered. “One surgeon didn’t seem to like me asking questions,” Tim says. Another scheduled him for an endoscopic mucosal resection without telling Tim that he hadn’t ever performed the procedure before.
When Tim cancelled that surgery, another doctor suggested he go to MD Anderson. Within three days, Tim had an appointment at MD Anderson with Wayne Hofstetter, M.D.
“My experience at MD Anderson was different,” Tim says. “Dr. Hofstetter encouraged me to ask questions. I wasn’t rushed, and I had all the information I needed. I even got to talk to other patients with the same diagnosis.”
Tim’s esophageal cancer surgeries
Hofstetter performed an endoscopic mucosal resection to remove the cancerous area in May 2014. But he wasn’t able to remove enough of the area around the cancer to declare Tim cancer-free. He gave Tim a choice: have an esophagectomy or return every six months to be screened for cancer.
“I decided that I didn’t want to keep looking in the rearview mirror or have it hanging over my head,” he says. So, Tim opted for an esophagectomy, which Hofstetter performed in June 2014. The surgery involved lifting his stomach to a higher position and forming a new esophagus out of a portion of his stomach.
Life after an esophagectomy
For 10 days after his esophagectomy, Tim stayed in the hospital, where he transitioned from a feeding tube to solid foods. Clinical dietitian Joan H. Elizondo helped Tim adjust to his smaller stomach and taught him to eat six small meals per day.
On a day he was feeling spry, Tim formed a conga line with the nurses on his floor for fun. He also had “Kicking cancer’s butt” buttons made for his care team. “I really felt like we all were on the same team. Everyone from Surgery to Clinical Nutrition worked together to help me get my health and strength back. They followed up with me even after I went home,” Tim says. “Our connection was just tremendous.”
Now, two-and-a-half years after Tim’s esophagectomy, Dr. Hofstetter often asks him to speak with his other patients. “I received so much that I felt an obligation to give back,” Tim says. “It’s really rewarding and has reinforced that cancer does not own me.”
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling 1-877-632-6789.
Lung cancer survivor gets surgical cure after 19 years
At age 27, Nadine Beech was a picture of health and notably, a non-smoker. So when she was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer in 1997, she was in complete disbelief.
Nadine’s doctor also didn’t initially detect the disease. “I started spitting up blood after a water skiing accident, and my doctor thought I had a bruised lung,” Nadine says. She saw several doctors in Kansas City, Missouri, before one discovered the 8-centimeter tumor on the lower lobe of her left lung.
Nadine had a lobectomy, surgery to remove the cancerous lobe. Six weeks later, she jumped back into her fitness regime, earning three black belts, running a marathon and completing a triathlon.
Nadine also quit her job as a bar tender and became a personal fitness trainer. “I was back on top of my game,” she says.
But lung cancer returned two years later.
Nadine’s lung cancer recurrence
In 1999, Nadine visited her oncologist for a routine follow-up CT scan. But instead of leaving with a clean bill of health, she learned the non-small cell lung cancer had returned in her right lung.
A New Zealand native, Nadine was discouraged and unsure where to turn. Then, her friend told her about MD Anderson where her father was being treated for lung cancer. “She told me I had to go there for lung cancer treatment,” Nadine says.
At MD Anderson, under the care of Waun Ki Hong, M.D., Nadine learned she had three tumors in her right lung, each measuring less than 1 centimeter. Hong decided to not immediately treat her tumors, as they are known to grow slowly based on her cancer type. He also knew there was a drug soon-to-come to market that he thought could treat Nadine’s cancer better than currently available drug therapies.
So, Nadine was placed under surveillance. “We just had to wait and watch the tumors,” she says. Nadine returned to Kansas City and for seven years had CT scans with her local oncologist every six months.
Genetic testing reveals risk of more cancers
While monitoring her lung cancer, Nadine learned she was at increased risk for more cancers.
When Nadine was 16 years old, her mother died from ovarian cancer, two years after surviving breast cancer. She was 52. Nadine’s grandmother also died from ovarian cancer at age 51.
Because of her family history, Nadine underwent genetic testing in 2005. The blood test showed Nadine carries the BRCA1 mutation, increasing her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers.
“Lung cancer was not the cancer I was supposed to get,” Nadine says. To prevent another cancer diagnosis, she had a double mastectomy and hysterectomy.
Tumor growth prompts another round of surgery for lung cancer treatment
In 2007, Hong started Nadine on the targeted drug therapy he’d been waiting for to treat her lung cancer. She took the drug Tarceva daily for nine years. And despite some unbearable side effects, including diarrhea, nausea, fatigue and acne, Nadine got very comfortable living with lung cancer.
Then, in April 2016, a nagging cough led Nadine to her local oncologist for an earlier-than-scheduled CT scan. It showed her tumors had grown slightly. Her oncologist thought she should change medications.
“The tumor growth did not sit well with me and my loved ones,” Nadine says. “It was time to go back to MD Anderson.”
Her gut instinct was right. Nadine’s tumors were now 8 centimeters and engulfing the upper and middle lobes of her right lung.
Here, thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon Mara Antonoff, M.D., reviewed Nadine’s case and performed a lung function test.
“The outcome of the test was phenomenal,” Antonoff says. “At age 46, Nadine was so fit and had such outstanding lung function that she could safely tolerate removal of two more lung lobes.”
So, Nadine underwent a bilobectomy, a type of surgery to remove two cancerous lobes. “Dr. Antonoff is an angel,” Nadine says. “She gave me so much comfort and strength. I had no doubt surgery was the right choice.”
Life lessons after 19 years of lung cancer
Six weeks after surgery, Nadine, once again, returned to her physically fit life.
“Living with cancer every day for 19 years felt like marathon training,” Nadine says. “I was constantly working hard to be the best I could be for when my cancer-free day would come. And finally, it’s here.”
Nadine calls MD Anderson her “office of cure.” And for the next two years, she’ll visit her office every three to six months for CT scans.
“I encourage people with cancer and their caregivers to take more time to de-stress,” Nadine says. “Stay patient and positive daily, live healthfully, have faith and rest assured, MD Anderson will destroy your cancer.”
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling 1-877-632-6789.
Surgery gives two-time survivor new life
With a family history of colon cancer, Brian Folloder has been getting regular colonoscopies since he turned 35. But in 2009, when he was 62 years old, a screening blood test for medical insurance showed a possible sign of cancer. So, Brian had a CT scan.
It showed no evidence of cancer. Yet, Brian’s son Justin, a physician assistant in Surgical Oncology at MD Anderson, insisted Brian get a six-month follow-up scan at MD Anderson.
The scan revealed Brian had a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor that would require surgery.
“My son just kept telling me, ‘Dad, you’re going to be fine.’” Brian says. And Justin was mostly right.
Finding life through surgery at MD Anderson
When Brian arrived at MD Anderson for surgery, he was scared. “I was crying like a baby because I thought people came here to die,” he says.
Brian quickly found the opposite to be true.
After a nearly eight-hour surgery with Jason B. Fleming, M.D., to remove the tumor, his gallbladder and lymph nodes, Brian was pancreatic cancer-free. But he would need to be followed for Barrett’s esophagus, a condition that made him more likely to develop esophageal cancer. The condition was incidentally discovered during the biopsy of his pancreas.
“My care was managed by an amazing team of doctors. And you know what they did?” Brian says. “They gave me more time to live.”
A second round of cancer
In September 2010, Brian had an endoscopy as part of his surveillance under gastroenterologist Jeffrey H. Lee, M.D. It showed cancer. Following a biopsy, Brian was diagnosed with esophageal adenocarcinoma.
Wayne Hofstetter, M.D., director of MD Anderson’s Esophageal Surgery Program, was consulted for Brian’s care. “He was thorough,” Brian says. “He presented me with two treatment options and was clear that the choice was mine.”
Brian could opt for a novel technique known as endoscopic mucosal resection, which allowed Dr. Hofstetter to preserve his esophagus. The procedure uses an endoscope with an attached device to reach and then remove the tumors. The alternative option was an esophagectomy – surgery to remove part of his esophagus.
“Choosing between the two was not an easy decision,” Justin says.
Choosing endoscopic mucosal resection surgery
An endoscopic mucosal resection would require aggressive surveillance post-procedure – serial endoscopies and scans for an indefinite amount of time. “This can be a bit riskier for managing the disease,” Justin explains. “An esophagectomy is a more aggressive approach to remove the cancer, but causes permanent lifestyle changes and has its own set of risks.”
Brian made his decision after connecting with other patients through myCancerConnection, MD Anderson’s one-on-one support program for patients and caregivers. After speaking with four patients, Brian says he found his cure.
He choose an endoscopic mucosal resection, followed by serial radiofrequency ablation with Marta Davila, M.D., to manage residual disease.
A new perspective after cancer
Since the endoscopic mucosal resection, Brian has remained cancer-free. “I know not everyone has a success story – my mother died of colon cancer when I was 15 years old,” Brian says. So at 69 years old, with a wife of 25 years, six kids and 10 grandkids, he feels grateful to be alive.
“MD Anderson gave me life -- twice,” Brian says. “And now, I am focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and giving back.”
