Doug B., a 51-year-old retired hospital X-ray technician who previously worked at HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center, is now back at his old stomping grounds under the care of Sunil Sharma, MD, oncologist and chief of translational oncology and drug development for the HonorHealth Research Institute.
Initial diagnosis and treatment
For months, the Fountain Hills resident had suffered from pain in his upper abdomen, a pain Doug only felt at night when he was laying down. A series of tests were inconclusive. But one day, disturbingly, he said something “popped out” of his belly button, a long-dormant connection to his digestive system.
A biopsy followed in March 2017, and Doug was diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. He was immediately put on chemotherapy, and he felt better. At the time, it was important for him to live long enough to see his daughter, Madeline, graduate from high school.
However, like many traditional cancer therapies, his treatment eventually ran its course.
Clinical trials provide hope
Doug was seen as a good candidate for two clinical trials at the HonorHealth Research Institute: one using botensilimab and balstilimab, two new immunotherapy anti-cancer drugs; and another involving a combination of 11 anti-cancer drugs.
“I was very fortunate that Dr. Sharma got me right in on this treatment,” he says. “Three years later, here I am and still going. The treatment has kept me healthy enough this whole time.”
After spending his adult working life in medicine, Doug said he is enthusiastic that he is not only benefiting from the clinical trials, but that future generations also will benefit.
“Trying to make other people better has always been part of my life,” shares Doug. “If something can be learned from my condition, it not only helps me but also could be beneficial for others.”
A unique perspective
Doug has an unusual take when it comes to cancer. “In some ways, having cancer has improved my life,” explains Doug. “That sounds kind of funny, but it’s just opened up avenues for me that I never would have expected.”
Because he took an early medical retirement, he now has the time to pursue passions with his wife, Honey, including camping in and around his hometown of Grand Junction, Colo., sailing on cruise ships across the globe, and visiting his daughter, now 19, at Northern Arizona University, where she plays violin and trombone, while majoring in pre-med.
“It (the cancer diagnosis) gives me so much freedom to do the things I’ve always wanted to do,” he shares. “Having cancer has not slowed my life down.”
Doug’s only limitation is needing to show up for treatment every two weeks, but he praises the team members at the Institute for making patients happy and comfortable.
“It does make all the difference in the world,” he says. “And I know that Dr. Sharma has my best interests in mind.”
Offering patients innovative treatment options
The HonorHealth Research Institute is at the front of today’s most important health questions. Established in 2005, the Institute has become a patient destination for treatments often available nowhere else.
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