Kidney Cancer, Family, and the Right Combination: Rick's Immunotherapy Story

Rick's family needed their father more than ever when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer, and he was able to be there thanks to a combination immunotherapy clinical trial.

In 2015, Rick saw his doctor with a bad cough. Months later his wife, Dixie, discovered a lump on his chest. After a biopsy and an initial misdiagnosis of breast cancer, Rick went to MD Anderson Cancer Center for a second opinion. In 2016, weak and hardly able to lift his two-year-old grandson, Rick learned he had stage IV kidney cancer. Dixie and their daughter, Katie, advocated for Rick to enroll in a clinical trial, combining immunotherapy drugs nivolumab (Opdivo®) and bevacizumab (Avastin®). After Rick’s third infusion, CT scans showed "dramatic results—the chest tumor had shrunk by 40% and the liver tumor by 25%." Rick sees his doctor for scans every four months and has not received any cancer treatment for the past 18 months. He is grateful to have his life back, to return to full-time work as an engineer, and to be "pop-pop" to his three grandchildren.

This video is part of the 7th Annual Cancer Immunotherapy Month™ in June 2019, hosted by the Cancer Research Institute. Help us raise awareness of the lifesaving potential of immunotherapy for all types of cancer. Let's fuel the next scientific discoveries and breakthrough treatments through learning, engagement, and storytelling. #Immune2Cancer

Immunotherapy patient stories are part of Cancer Research Institute's Answer to Cancer Patient Education Program. Established in 1953, the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing our immune system’s power to control and potentially cure all cancers. Our mission: Save more lives by fueling the discovery and development of powerful immunotherapies for all types of cancer. To accomplish this, we rely on donor support and collaborative partnerships to fund and carry out the most innovative clinical and laboratory research around the world, support the next generation of the field’s leaders, and serve as the trusted source of information on immunotherapy for cancer patients and their caregivers.

Sync ID: MB01MQRMUZNQZUB

kidney cancer,nivolumab,opdivo,bevacizumab,avastin,md anderson cancer center,checkpoint inhibitors,combination therapy,checkpoint inhibit,immunotherapy,renal cell carcinoma,cancer treatment,pdl1,clinical trials,#Immune2Cancer,