Cancer and Clinical Services Patient Stories

Throughout his fight against stage IV melanoma, John M. has valued the partnerships that he’s developed at the OSUCCC – James. “Everyone there has listened to my input and collaborated with me. For someone who’s had such a long cancer journey, that matters,” he says. “I think of so many people at The James as family.”

John was initially diagnosed in 2004 and sought treatment at two other Ohio hospitals before transferring to Ohio State in 2006. This earlier treatment included removal of his right lung after the cancer had metastasized, a wedge resection of his left lung and a planned participation in a clinical trial.

“For almost two years before I came to The James, my wife was urging my doctors to try interleukin-2, which is an intense immunotherapy,” he says. “I eventually decided it was my best chance, but my previous oncologist told me that the treatment could kill me, and he strongly discouraged it.

“I applied for a clinical trial, but we discovered that I wasn’t eligible after pre-trial scans showed that the cancer metastasis had reformed. That’s when my wife proposed interleukin-2 to my new oncologist at Ohio State. He was willing to hear my case and respect the input of both patient and caregiver, and he agreed it was my best option and that I was healthy enough to undergo treatment.

“Receiving about 40-plus rounds of interleukin-2 over four separate weeks cleared my lungs and resulted in no more evidence of the disease on my next scans.” Interleukin-2, also called IL-2, or Proleukin®, helps immune cells grow and divide more quickly, teaching the body to kill specific cancer cells. In John’s case, he received high-dose infusions of interleukin-2 over four weeks in two separate months. “It was not easy,” he says. “The medicine made my heart race, my blood pressure dropped and I did not feel like eating, but I pushed to finish as many of the 12 infusions that I could in a one-week period. You are admitted to the hospital and placed in the care of a special nursing staff in an ICU-like atmosphere for the infusions. My wife and I met the nurse director of this group pre-admission, and she explained our treatment week and alleviated our fears about our care during the stay. As a cancer patient, you don’t feel great, but they monitor you around the clock to make sure you’re OK, so you’re never alone.

“I was wiped out after that first round of infusions, but again, my oncologist listened to me. I asked for a longer break, and they adjusted the schedule so I could take a week off to recover before my second series of doses. It was like that throughout treatment, with everyone respecting my input.”

As John explains, melanoma can be relentless, so even after his success with infusions he continued to meet with his primary oncologist at the OSUCCC – James, who has since retired. Ongoing surveillance, including CT scans and MRIs, eventually uncovered melanoma in his gallbladder in October 2008, which was successfully removed through laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgery. Then in 2016, regular appointments with his dermatologist revealed melanoma on his face, which was caught early and removed via wide excision at The James.

John has now achieved what’s known as no evidence of disease or “NED.” Although he no longer requires annual scans, he does have annual blood tests and follow-up appointments with both his current medical oncologist, Kari Kendra, MD, PhD, and his dermatologist.

“I’ve known Dr. Kendra for more than 12 years, and she’s been my primary oncologist for the last four,” he says. “But she is more than just my doctor. She captains our Ohio State melanoma Pelotonia bike team and recruits other doctors, nurses and patients to join us in our quest to end cancer. Some of the Ohio State nurses have also led our melanoma support group, which started with just two people, but now has more than two dozen, meeting on the third Wednesday of each month prepandemic. The group openly discusses cancer treatments, challenges and offers support to both patients and caregivers.

“That kind of support has meant so much to me.”

John helped found the melanoma support group 10 years ago at Ohio State, and he looks forward to restarting the monthly support meetings postpandemic. In 2022, he participated in his 14th Pelotonia, the three-day bike ride that helps fund research efforts at the OSUCCC – James. He and his wife have raised more than $35,000 in donations over the years, and he also participates in a Melanoma Research Foundation 5K walk/run fundraiser, which is usually captained by an Ohio State nurse in their free time.

“The melanoma department at The James is just so positive,” he says. “You get first-class care. They care about patient input, and they make sure you are taken care of spiritually, physically and mentally during your cancer journey. They try to support your entire family — really in every way — so you are ready to go through the treatment plan with the best chance of success.

“Every time I meet with my doctors, I know they will give me the time that I need to discuss my options too. I might wait a bit before an appointment, but I understand that is because they’re also giving the person before me all the time that they need.

“And the melanoma team at Ohio State believes in what they are doing. You can feel it, and you can see it in all of the ways they take care of you.”