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064: Patrick Owen survived Renal Cell Carcinoma | Immunotherapy | Radiation Therapy | Renal Cancer
Patrick Owen fractured his right femur when jamming his foot into a ski boot. That led to a PET scan, which led to a diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma, a form of renal cancer. Patrick was able to avoid chemotherapy, and instead went with a regimen of immunotherapy, which brought him to survivorship. He shares his story with the @CancerInterviews podcast.
Patrick Owen loves to travel and hike and scuba dive. He also loves skiing. On a ski trip three hours from his home in Salem, Oregon, he was trying to get his right foot in his ski boot when his femur snapped in half. After he was done screaming in pain, he told his wife he thought he had cancer because one doesn’t just break the strongest bone in one’s body while putting on a ski boot. Patrick was taken to a hospital, where a rod was put in his femur from his knee to his hip. An ensuing PET scan revealed the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma.
He was given the option of a relatively-new form of treatment called immunotherapy, which he chose over chemotherapy. It consisted of 12 weeks of two different types of medication infusions. He would be hooked up to an IV and did that every three weeks for 12 weeks. Then he went to one infusion once every four weeks. Patrick felt amazed and blessed that he didn’t have any of the side effects.
Patrick said his right leg was a problem even before his diagnosis. A month prior to the diagnosis, after getting out of bed, he stepped down on his leg and felt a sharp pain just above his knee. He admits he didn’t think much of it, the pain went away, but his wife repeatedly said he should see a doctor. In retrospect, Patrick thinks that morning, he might have partially broken the femur. Even after achieving survivorship, sometimes his leg is a source of pain and sometimes, he limps.
Patrick Owen still undergoes periodic scans on his femur. He is told it is healing, but will never completely heal. He is grateful to have survived renal cell carcinoma, and tries to be as healthy as he can with a sugar-free, low-carb diet.
Additional Resources:
Kickin’ Cancer: https://www.kicking-cancer.org
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By Jim Foster
5
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Patrick Owen fractured his right femur when jamming his foot into a ski boot. That led to a PET scan, which led to a diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma, a form of renal cancer. Patrick was able to avoid chemotherapy, and instead went with a regimen of immunotherapy, which brought him to survivorship. He shares his story with the @CancerInterviews podcast.
Patrick Owen loves to travel and hike and scuba dive. He also loves skiing. On a ski trip three hours from his home in Salem, Oregon, he was trying to get his right foot in his ski boot when his femur snapped in half. After he was done screaming in pain, he told his wife he thought he had cancer because one doesn’t just break the strongest bone in one’s body while putting on a ski boot. Patrick was taken to a hospital, where a rod was put in his femur from his knee to his hip. An ensuing PET scan revealed the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma.
He was given the option of a relatively-new form of treatment called immunotherapy, which he chose over chemotherapy. It consisted of 12 weeks of two different types of medication infusions. He would be hooked up to an IV and did that every three weeks for 12 weeks. Then he went to one infusion once every four weeks. Patrick felt amazed and blessed that he didn’t have any of the side effects.
Patrick said his right leg was a problem even before his diagnosis. A month prior to the diagnosis, after getting out of bed, he stepped down on his leg and felt a sharp pain just above his knee. He admits he didn’t think much of it, the pain went away, but his wife repeatedly said he should see a doctor. In retrospect, Patrick thinks that morning, he might have partially broken the femur. Even after achieving survivorship, sometimes his leg is a source of pain and sometimes, he limps.
Patrick Owen still undergoes periodic scans on his femur. He is told it is healing, but will never completely heal. He is grateful to have survived renal cell carcinoma, and tries to be as healthy as he can with a sugar-free, low-carb diet.
Additional Resources:
Kickin’ Cancer: https://www.kicking-cancer.org