Matthew Old, MD, an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon and researcher at the OSUCCC – James, is proud to be part of that group. In Pelotonia 2019, he rode the full distance once again.
Old — who cycled a lot with his dad and brothers while growing up, competed on the Stanford University NCAA national championship swim team and works out every day at 5 a.m. — is proud that he still has the stamina to complete the 200-mile route from central Ohio to Gambier and back.
He also knows the importance of the ride and the money it will generate for cancer research at Ohio State. “As research funding has waned from governmental sources, community engagement in this institution’s vision to create a cancer-free world is incredibly important,” says Old, who rode with the Team Buckeye – Team Head and Neck peloton (riding group), for which his wife Molly serves as captain. His dad, John Old, is also in this peloton and has ridden in most Pelotonias.
“Most people know someone who has or has had cancer, so Pelotonia is a perfect venue for working together to generate resources for finding cures," Old says, noting that his grandfather battled head and neck cancer for years and developed multiple recurrences before dying of a radiation-induced cancer when Old was a teenager. “I don’t know if that inspired me to do what I’m doing, but it must’ve subconsciously had an effect.”
Old, associate professor and director of the Division of Head and Neck Oncology in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Ohio State, and medical director of the Head and Neck Oncology Service Line, has clinical expertise in head and neck oncology, microvascular and skin-defect reconstruction, skull base surgery, robotic surgery, paragangliomas and carotid body tumors, as well as thyroid and parathyroid surgery.
His research is focused on oral cavity cancers, rare salivary gland cancers and developing novel therapeutics. He also leads and is involved with several clinical trials.
“We have multiple trials with new agents that help patients with all stages of diseases, and other trials involving preventive medications that stop or prevent cancer from recurring,” Old says. “And because of our high volume in head and neck cancer, we see some patients with very rare tumors, such as salivary gland cancers. This affords us the opportunity to conduct critical research, and that’s where philanthropy can have its biggest impact.”
Old says the Pelotonia ride reinforces his motivation as a medical professional. “It definitely grounds and brings me back to the reality of why we’re doing what we do. It’s easy to get caught up in the everyday hard work of treating patients and teaching and doing research, but when you participate in the ride with so many of your friends, family members, patients and colleagues, you really see the bigger picture of it all.”
His favorite part of each year’s ride is stopping at a large farm near Utica. A patient of his and the patient’s family own the farm, where stands a colorfully painted barn bearing the Pelotonia logo and a “Thank You” greeting to Pelotonia riders, donors and volunteers. “The part of my team that rides the extended route stops there to meet the family and spend time with them,” he says. “Moments like that enable you to take a step back and see the wider impact of our work.”
And he does believe the work of medical scientists at the OSUCCC – James and elsewhere will lead to a cancer-free world. “Knowledge is advancing at such a fast rate that it will soon be doubling every 12 to 24 hours, instead of over several decades, so the pace at which we’re figuring things out is remarkable,” Old says. “We’re starting to see breakthroughs and cures that we’ve never seen before in patients who previously were terminal. That’s why I believe. If I thought we were fighting an uphill battle, I wouldn’t be as optimistic as I am.”