DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 62 and recently had a physical. My doctor suggested that I should be screened for lung cancer. I used to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day but quit about a decade ago. I've not had any problems, so I'm wondering if this is necessary. What does screening involve?

ANSWER: More than 600,000 people die annually from cancer in the U.S. Lung cancer remains the leading cause, accounting for about 25% of all deaths. More people die in the U.S. each year from lung cancer than from colon, breast and prostate cancer combined.

Well-conducted and reputable studies have shown, however, that a properly organized screening program can reduce the number of people who die from lung cancer by 20%.

Screening programs are used to find lung cancer at an early stage when it is more likely to be successfully treated. In general, screening is recommended for people at higher risk of developing lung cancer. That often includes people like you who smoked heavily at some point in their lives.

One research study performed in the U.S., called the National Lung Screening Trial, found that three specific segments of the population benefit the most from screening. The first group includes people who have previously had lung cancer. The second group is people who smoked a pack of cigarettes per day or more for 30 years or longer.

The third group includes people who smoked a pack a day or more for 20 years or longer and who also have another factor that raises their risk of lung cancer. Those factors may include a family history of lung cancer, having emphysema or another lung disorder, having undergone radiation treatment, or a previous cancer diagnosis in another part of the body.

One important component of a lung cancer screening program involves a radiology test of the lungs called low-dose CT. Getting a CT scan of the lungs involves a medical appointment that lasts about an hour, although the scan itself usually takes less than five minutes.

A low-dose CT scan is a painless procedure, similar to getting an X-ray. The detailed images of the lungs and surrounding structures created during the scan are generated by a computer and reviewed by a radiologist, which is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing conditions with imaging tests.

Using CT scans to screen for lung cancer is important because these scans can reveal lung cancers long before they cause symptoms or show up on a chest X-ray. A CT scan can spot cancers as small as a grain of rice. The importance of finding cancer early is significant because survival after lung cancer treatment is directly related to the stage at which the cancer is first found.

When lung cancer is identified at an early stage with a screening CT scan, the cancer often can be cured with surgery. In addition, treatment for early stage lung cancer usually can be performed using minimally invasive techniques, which allows patients to recover more quickly and return to their usual activities sooner than they would with more invasive surgical approaches.

It is important to know that lung cancer screening, when done correctly, is more than just an imaging exam of your lungs. Rather, proper cancer screening is an integrated multidisciplinary program that includes an initial individualized risk assessment to determine if participating in a screening protocol would benefit you.

A reputable screening program should include proper analysis and have structured plans to address anything that is identified on the CT scan, since not every spot found in the lung is cancerous. Having an expert evaluation of the radiology images in the context of the individual patient is important, too, along with ensuring that an overview of the findings is shared and explained to the patient. Following the review, next steps may include additional tests, a plan for future testing or discussion of treatment options. For many patients, the plan may simply come down to an annual chest CT.

Quitting smoking was an excellent decision — perhaps the best health care decision you will make in your life. Stopping smoking dramatically lowers the risk for many health problems and increases overall health and well-being. Getting screened for lung cancer simply reinforces that decision by continuing to protect your health now and into the future. — Dr. Stephen Cassivi, Thoracic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

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Related Articles 

• Consumer Health: What is lung cancer screening, and who needs it? published 7/28/22
• Why lung cancer screening is important, especially for minorities published 5/10/21

The post Mayo Clinic Q and A: How early should I be screened for lung cancer? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Dawn Botsford was sitting in a chair at the hair salon in 2011 when her hairdresser commented on a spot on the top of her head.

It was bug season in North Dakota, so Dawn didn’t think much of it. "When I told my hairdresser that, she said, ‘I really think you need to get it checked out.' She saved my life," Dawn recalls.

Dawn met with a local dermatologist to have the spot examined. A few hours after her biopsy, Dawn's dermatologist told her she had melanoma, a form of skin cancer.

Dawn's dermatologist wanted her to see a local oncologist as soon as possible, but there were no appointments available.

"With that kind of news, I got worried," Dawn says.

Dawn visited her local physician for another trusted opinion. His comment was even more unsettling: "This looks pretty serious."

He then picked up the phone and called Mayo Clinic to make a referral.

No. 1, and six hours away

After receiving news of availability and discussing it with her husband, John, and their son, Tom, Dawn made an appointment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Dawn and John made the trip to Mayo Clinic and met with Eric Moore, M.D., the next day.

Dr. Moore scheduled surgery for Dawn two days later.

"We're fortunate to have the No. 1 medical system in the world a six-hour drive away," Tom says. "We never really questioned that we were going to go to Mayo."

They really wanted to give me hope that this diagnosis was not fatal.

Dawn Botsford

In October 2011, after several appointments and the initial surgery to remove the spot, doctors confirmed that Dawn's melanoma was late-stage.

"The physicians at Mayo Clinic were all so kind and caring," Dawn says. "They really wanted to give me hope that this diagnosis was not fatal."

A month after surgery, Dawn developed an infection in the incision on the top of her head. She happened to be in Minneapolis with family, and they decided to head to Mayo Clinic in Rochester's emergency department, about 75 miles away. When they arrived, Dawn was amazed to see a doctor waiting for her who had read her chart and was up to speed on what was going on.

"That is remarkable patient care," she says.

Finding hope in a clinical trial

In early 2013, doctors performed a precautionary lung X-ray and found that melanoma had spread to Dawn's lungs.

Her oncologist, Robert McWilliams, M.D., suggested she enroll in a clinical trial with an immunotherapy drug, conducted by Svetomir Markovic, M.D., Ph.D., a medical oncologist and hematologist who specializes in the care of patients with advanced melanoma.

"Dr. Markovic said a clinical trial was her only option, and that the survival rate at the time was 2%," Tom says. "I still remember sitting in our home office, my dad and I Googling this stuff, looking for papers on outcomes and survival rates. That's what we found — 2%."

Dawn decided to take part in the study.

"It was always equally as important to her that she was participating in a clinical trial, not knowing if it would help her, but knowing that the results would eventually help others," John says.

Best bet: surgery

By the end of 2013, Dr. McWilliams and thoracic surgeon Stephen Cassivi, M.D., decided that surgery on both lungs was now Dawn's best bet.

The entire team of researchers, providers and staff who saved my life and always gave me hope is something the clinic can be very proud of.

Dawn Botsford

"I got back to the hospital, and in my room on the whiteboard there was a sign that said, 'Welcome back, Dawn!' I just felt like everybody took such good care of me," Dawn says. "They didn't know it, but they were challenging me, too. I had to get my lungs working again."

In July 2015, another spot was found on Dawn's right lung. She then had three stereotactic radiation treatments, a noninvasive radiosurgery technique. After her treatments, Dawn came back to Mayo Clinic every six months for routine testing.

10 years later

After numerous PET scans and appointments, and with the strong support of family and friends, Dawn officially completed her time with the oncology program at Mayo Clinic in July 2020 — 10 years after the first spotting of melanoma and five years since the last recurrence.

Following completion of her treatments, Dawn and her family decided to support Mayo Clinic through philanthropy. Mayo Clinic recognizes the Botsford Family Foundation as a Major Benefactor for the family's generosity.

"I can't say enough about the people and the facilities at Mayo Clinic," Dawn says. "The entire team of researchers, providers and staff who saved my life and always gave me hope is something the clinic can be very proud of."

For John and Tom, Mayo Clinic means even more.

"Not only did Dr. Markovic and the team at Mayo Clinic save my mom, but they allowed her to get to know her grandkids," Tom says. "That's something you can never put a price on."

This story originally appeared in Mayo Clinic Magazine.

The post Dawn’s Journey: Overcoming a near-zero survival rate appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Joyce Gabbert came to Mayo Clinic for treatment of a rare form of head and neck cancer. But she soon learned that wasn't the only cancer diagnosis she was facing. At that point, a coordinated care team came together to create a treatment plan that put Joyce on the path to becoming cancer-free.

It all started with a stuffy nose. "After a week or so, I thought I must have a sinus infection because it just wasn't going away," Joyce Gabbert says.

Joyce decided to seek the medical counsel of a nurse practitioner. "I told him that I thought I must have a sinus infection, so he gave me an antibiotic," she says. "But he also said that if it didn't get better, I should make an appointment with an otorhinolaryngology specialist."

After another month without any improvement, that's what Joyce did. "I'd actually gotten worse during that time," she says. "In fact, I'd worsened to the point where I had a runny nose that I couldn't stop. It got so bad that I'd have to continually pack my nose with Kleenex just so I could continue to function at work."

When the day of her otorhinolaryngology, or ENT, appointment came, Joyce was hoping for a quick diagnosis and an easy fix. But as the appointment went on, she realized she wasn't going to get either.

"The ENT I saw thought I might be suffering from nasal polyps and that I might need corrective surgery," she says. "But they only do their surgeries at a hospital that's not very convenient for me location-wise, so I thought, 'I'm just going to switch ENTs and get a second opinion.'"

Joyce found another ENT specialist closer to her home in Burnsville, Minnesota. He began her evaluation with a CT scan. "When he looked at the results, he knew right away it wasn't nasal polyps because the problem wasn't uniform. It was concentrated to one side of my nose," Joyce says. "At that point, he inserted a small scope into my nose, so he could get a better look at what was going on."

What appeared to be going on didn't look good. The physician suspected Joyce had a tumor. He recommended surgery to investigate further and determine if it was cancer. "That's when I started to worry," Joyce says.

From worry to action

The surgery uncovered a rare form of head and neck cancer known as a sinonasal malignancy. Joyce's doctor suggested she seek care at a larger medical center and recommended several, including Mayo Clinic. "I thought: 'My goodness, Mayo Clinic is one of the best — if not the best — hospitals in the world. Why would I not go there?'" Joyce says.

"(Dr. Choby) is so personable and compassionate, and you just know he truly cares about his patients. You're not a clinic number to him. You're a person."

Joyce Gabbert

At Mayo Clinic, Joyce met Garret Choby, M.D. in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery. "He's wonderful," she says. "He's so personable and compassionate, and you just know he truly cares about his patients. You're not a clinic number to him. You're a person."

Dr. Choby moved quickly to assess Joyce's condition and determine next steps. That assessment revealed another unpleasant surprise. "We did a PET scan with Joyce before her surgery to ensure her tumor hadn't spread. During that scan, a lesion lit up in her left lung," Dr. Choby says. "We then had to biopsy that to ensure it wasn't a spread of her sinonasal cancer. It wasn't, but it did turn out to be a second primary cancer of her left lung."

Joyce was stunned. "I couldn't believe it," she says. "I felt fine. I had no symptoms of lung cancer whatsoever. I would have never known I had this cancer, as well, without that PET scan."

All hands on deck

Dr. Choby consulted with Mayo Clinic thoracic surgeon Stephen Cassivi, M.D. Now dealing with two cancers instead of one, they had to decide which took top priority.

"This is part of the beauty of Mayo Clinic," Dr. Cassivi says. "I was able to meet with Dr. Choby, and we discussed Joyce's different medical issues. We felt that her lung cancer was able to be put on the back burner a bit because it was an early-stage cancer, so we thought it would be best to deal with it after Dr. Choby took care of her sinonasal tumor and after she finished her corresponding radiation treatments."

With that plan in place, Dr. Choby then brought in fellow ENT surgeon Eric Moore, M.D., and neurosurgeon Michael Link, M.D., as well as medical oncologist Katharine Price, M.D.

"For patients like Joyce, who have tumors in this location — right at the base of the skull where the brain cavity is separated from the nasal cavity — we always work as a team at Mayo Clinic," Dr. Link says.

Before moving forward with surgery to remove the tumor, the team discussed the possibility of a craniotomy — taking out part of Joyce's forehead to allow access to the tumor. Instead, they were able to perform surgery through her nose, and a craniotomy wasn't necessary.

"I love their coordination of care, and how everyone is on the same team and the same page at all times."

Joyce Gabbert

"We were very pleased with that," Dr. Link says. "Working together with Drs. Choby and Moore, we all felt good that we had the right plan in place, and we were able to execute that plan the way we wanted to."

All three surgeons were involved in the complex procedure, which took more than eight hours. When it was over, they were confident in the result, as was Joyce. "They did such a wonderful job," Joyce says. "Drs. Choby, Moore, Link and Price all worked together to get all of that cancer out of there for me."

With her initial surgery complete, Joyce spent the next six weeks in Rochester undergoing proton beam therapy treatments before meeting up, once again, with Dr. Cassivi.

"Once Joyce finished her radiation treatments, we rechecked everything to make sure nothing had changed," Dr. Cassivi says. "I then brought her back into the operating room to do a minimally invasive removal of the lower left lobe of her lung to remove her early-stage lung cancer."

Joyce's second cancer surgery went just as well as the first. "I can't say enough about my surgeons and my entire care teams at Mayo Clinic," Joyce says. "In addition to everything else, I love their coordination of care, and how everyone is on the same team and the same page at all times."

Partners in compassionate care

Joyce also was pleased and relieved to find Mayo Clinic's coordinated care went beyond just her, as the patient, and extended to her family, as well, including her daughter, who came to many of Joyce's Mayo Clinic appointments.

"She was, of course, very afraid throughout much of what I had to go through. She asked Drs. Choby, Moore, Link, Price and Cassivi so many questions about everything. They were all so patient, and they took the time to show her my scans and explain what everything was and what everything meant," Joyce says. "They went out of their way time and time again to reassure her that my prognosis was good. That was a tremendous help because when it was coming from me, I think she thought she was getting it through rose-colored glasses. But hearing it from them, she took that seriously."

"The ability for all of us to work in concert as partners on the same team working on Joyce and her daughter's behalf is, to me, what Mayo Clinic is all about."

Stephen Cassivi, M.D.

The team took providing that kind of coordinated, compassionate care seriously, as well. "It was great," Dr. Cassivi says. "The ability for all of us to work in concert as partners on the same team working on Joyce and her daughter's behalf is, to me, what Mayo Clinic is all about."

And that's why Joyce — whose scans now show to be cancer-free on all fronts — says she'll continue driving to Mayo Clinic for her medical care.

"I feel so blessed to live so close to Rochester and Mayo Clinic. Right when you walk into Mayo, you get this comforting feeling that you're in the best possible hospital in the world," she says. "My care teams at Mayo Clinic saved my life. I have no doubt about that. The skill and compassion of Drs. Choby, Moore, Link, Cassivi, Price, and everyone else up and down my care teams, are truly remarkable and so very much appreciated."

HELPFUL LINKS

• Read more about head and neck cancer and lung cancer treatment at Mayo Clinic.
• Learn more about the departments of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Thoracic Surgery and Neurosurgery.
• Check out the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center.
• Connect with others talking about cancer on Mayo Clinic Connect.
• Explore Mayo Clinic.
• Request an appointment.

The post Two Cancers, One Unified Multidisciplinary Care Team appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

For Gary and Carolyn Lockner, a trip to Mayo Clinic is more than a doctor's appointment. To the Lockners, Mayo Clinic not only provides physical healing, it also offers emotional support and renewed hope.

Gary and Carolyn Lockner's love affair started more than 50 years ago when the two were college students at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota. As their relationship matured through the years from sweethearts, to spouses, to parents, so too did their love.

Their commitment to one another became particularly clear when Carolyn developed breast cancer 20 years into their romance. The couple wasted no time seeking treatment near their home in northern Minnesota. But the cancer, which was found to be estrogen receptor positive, persisted through tumor removal, a mastectomy and years of hormone therapy. Ultimately, it spread to Carolyn's bones.

At that point, Gary told Carolyn that he was going to find her the best doctor in the world. His quest led them to Mayo Clinic. At Mayo, Carolyn was seen by several physicians in the Department of Oncology, including Matthew Goetz, M.D., who was a first-year medical trainee at that time. During one of Carolyn and Gary's early meetings with Dr. Goetz, Gary asked the doctor two questions about his wife's treatment.

"The first question he answered," Gary recalls. "The second one, he said, 'I don't know. Let me go check.' So he left the room for two minutes, and when he came back he said, 'The head of Mayo breast cancer oncology, Dr. Ingle, said…'

That statement was music to Gary's ears. "I choked up right there because I had told my wife I was going to get her the best doctor in the world, and by Jove, I did," he says. "I got Dr. Goetz and everything behind him. Mayo Clinic empowered him to give her the best care."

Experienced, innovative approach

Several years after Carolyn's initial visit, Dr. Goetz joined the staff in Mayo's Department of Oncology. Since 2014, he has directed the Breast Cancer Research Program, which includes the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence, and he co-directs the Women's Cancer Program. Through the decades, Dr. Goetz has developed a clinical and research focus on Carolyn's type of breast cancer, all the while caring for her and offering her the most progressive therapy.

"The volunteers, the staff, the doctors, facilities, everything instills faith in the patient because they know there are people who are going to help." 

Gary Lockner

When Dr. Goetz first saw Carolyn in 1999, treatment options for breast cancer were more limited. As each year passed, however, additional drugs were approved. As Carolyn's cancer evolved to become resistant to a certain medication, she's been able to receive newly approved targeted therapies, which has led to prolonged remissions.

"I'm glad to be part of the process where they've been able to use different drugs and treatments and learn from them," Carolyn says. "That's really an honor."

Individualized, compassionate care

Carolyn's Mayo Clinic experience has been so positive over the years that when Gary was diagnosed with lung cancer two years ago, choosing Mayo for his own care was easy.

"Mayo Clinic is magical, a place of miracles," Gary says. "The volunteers, the staff, the doctors, facilities, everything instills faith in the patient because they know there are people who are going to help."

Diagnosed in 2016 with diverticulitis, a painful inflammation of the intestinal tissue, Gary had a CT scan taken of his abdomen. In addition to showing Gary's intestines, the scan included portions of his lower lungs. It revealed two nodular growths, one in each lung.

Gary's care team in northern Minnesota determined that the growths were stage 1 adenocarcinoma — a type of non-small cell lung cancer. It was decided that the larger nodule in the left lung required immediate surgical removal. The operation would involve opening Gary's chest and cutting between the ribs to access the tumor. Gary asked his physician if it was possible to remove the tumor with minimally invasive surgery.

"He said, 'No, my guy's not trained for that,'" Gary says, "So I decided to go to Mayo Clinic."

At Mayo Clinic, Gary met Stephen Cassivi, M.D., in Thoracic Surgery, who recommended thoracoscopic surgery as an alternative to open surgery. Because Gary also had an underlying problem with the way his blood clots, using a minimally invasive operation to remove his tumor was an important component of his care, Dr. Cassivi says.

"The minimally invasive approach to the chest was very well-suited to Mr. Lockner," he says.

The day before Gary went into surgery, he says he saw an article in the Rochester newspaper reporting that Mayo Clinic's Department of Pulmonary Medicine had been named No. 1 in the nation.

"Do you know what that does to a person — to read that the hospital where you're about to get an operation was named number one? It just took away all the fear," Gary says.

"It's the efficiency and the dedication that impressed us — the way things were handled quickly and seemed easy, and always with an optimistic attitude."

Carolyn Lockner

Gary's procedure went well, and the tumor was removed successfully. The second smaller nodule in Gary's right lung was removed during another thoracoscopic operation in 2017.

"This was clearly a cancer that, left to its own devices, would become a problem. But we were able to get it in a timely fashion and remove it in a way that would not slow him down. That is clearly important for him," Dr. Cassivi says. "This gentleman is an active man, and he has to look after his wife. They have to look after each other. So we want to keep him as highly functional as possible."

Gary's experience deepened the appreciation the couple feels for their care teams.

"It's the efficiency and the dedication that impressed us — the way things were handled quickly and seemed easy, and always with an optimistic attitude," Carolyn says. "That made you have a lot of hope."

Empathetic, encouraging atmosphere

When the Lockners began traveling to Mayo Clinic, they lived in the small town of Baudette, Minnesota, and Gary set out to make the seven-hour trips to Rochester into mini-vacations. With visits to antique shops, meals at favorite restaurants and days filled with smiles from familiar people committed to their health, their Mayo Clinic visits have never been a burden, the Lockners say. In fact, the trips are quite the opposite.

"Just knowing that we're going there is, to me, comforting," Carolyn says. "I don't worry about things because I know that we're at the best place with the best people. I know it's just the best care, so it takes away a lot of the worry and wondering."

Through the years, the Lockners have developed some habits when they visit Mayo. One is spending time listening to the grand piano being played in the Gonda Building's Landow Atrium.

"The first time I was there, we looked over the balcony, and there was the piano, and this lady with long black hair was playing so beautifully," Carolyn says. "She looked up and caught my glance. She had this big smile on her face, and it gave me a lot of hope. When we're back, we sometimes catch her, and she's still got long black hair and that big smile. I just think that's a wonderful thing."

For Gary, another Mayo Clinic tradition is sketching — a hobby he enjoys while waiting for appointments. Sometimes it's flowers. Other times, it's birds. But whatever the subject, the drawings give Gary an outlet for his nervous energy. Gary's sketches have caught the attention of people around him at Mayo over the years.

"Miracles beget miracles. Hope begets hope. It's everything about the place. It helps people survive, and the people themselves help each other because of it."

Gary Lockner

"He would always be working on his drawing, and he sometimes even has offered to give me a copy," Dr. Goetz says.

Fellow patients have remarked on his colorful sketches, which Gary happily has given away. They are gifts to survivors like his Carolyn — women who spend years facing down an unrelenting opponent, he says. The drawings allow Gary to express his feelings about, and serve as an extension for, the care and kindness that pervades Mayo Clinic.

"Miracles beget miracles. Hope begets hope. It's everything about the place," he says. "It helps people survive, and the people themselves help each other because of it."

HELPFUL LINKS

• Learn more about breast cancer and lung cancer.
• Read about thoracoscopic surgery.
• Explore Mayo Clinic.
• Request an appointment.

The post Couple Buoyed by Mayo Clinic Care in Sickness and Health appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

When Donald Brotzman was diagnosed with three separate cancers at once, his Mayo Clinic care team crafted a comprehensive treatment plan that addressed all of Donald's medical concerns in a coordinated, compassionate way.

It started with a cough and cold that wouldn't go away. "I just couldn't shake it," Donald Brotzman says. After weeks of frustration, Donald went to see a local care provider near his home in Alaska.

"They did an X-ray because they thought I had pneumonia," he says. "They saw something. But there was so much fluid in my lungs that they gave me some medicine, told me to use it up, and then come back in for another X-ray, so they could get a better look."

Donald did as instructed. "After the second X-ray, they said I definitely had some kind of tumor on my right lung," he says. "They wanted to biopsy it to see exactly what it was, but they couldn't get a sample. I had two failed biopsies over the course of the next two weeks."

With worry mounting, Donald decided to call Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus. "They were able to get me right in," he says. "Within a few days of getting there, Mayo Clinic not only had a biopsy of my right lung that showed I had lung cancer, but they also found I was suffering from bladder and colon cancer, as well."

While the lung cancer wasn't a complete shock to Donald, the other two diagnoses were.

"By then, I already knew I likely had cancer. I just didn't know what kind," he says. "When they told me I actually had three different kinds of cancer, of course I was worried, but also just a bit numb."

Although the news was a lot to take in, Donald was in the right place to handle his complex case, according to Stephen Cassivi, M.D., a Mayo Clinic thoracic surgeon who was part of Donald's care team.

"Our multidisciplinary team approach makes certain that we manage and treat the whole patient," Dr. Cassivi says. "It's not uncommon for a patient to come to us with one problem to answer, and in the process, we uncover previously unidentified issues which also need to be managed. We then address all of those medical concerns in a coordinated fashion — just as we did with Donald."

Eliminating the cancers one by one

Fortunately, all three of Donald's cancers were early stage tumors that hadn't spread to other parts of his body. But each was a serious, possibly life-threatening concern that needed to be treated. Donald's care team began by running a series of tests, scans and examinations to see which of the cancers presented the highest risk. "We determined that to be his lung cancer," says Robert McWilliams, M.D., Donald's medical oncologist.

After surgery to remove the lung cancer, Donald would go on to receive treatment for the bladder and colon cancers. With that plan set, Donald was placed under the care of Dr. Cassivi, who brought his team together to get rid of the lung cancer.

"They removed the top half of my right lung," Donald says. "That all went very well — so well that I didn't have to go through any chemotherapy or radiation. They just took it out, and that was it."

The same would largely hold true for Donald's bladder and colon cancers.

"All of my surgical teams at Mayo Clinic were astronomically good. … I have total confidence in them and in everything they and Mayo Clinic have done for me."

Donald Brotzman

"The bladder surgery didn't take much more than an hour," Donald says. "They just went in with a camera and snipped it off. The hardest part of that one was that I had to use a catheter for a while after the procedure."

Last, but certainly not least, was the colon cancer. Donald need to undergo several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation after two of the lymph nodes Robert Cima, M.D., a Mayo Clinic colon and rectal surgeon, and his surgical team removed from Donald's colon were found to contain cancer. "But that wasn't that bad," Donald says of the treatments.

Nor was the walking-intensive rehabilitation plan that came next, which Donald says has him on a continued path to full recovery from all three cancers. "I don't have a lot of strength right now, and I still nap a lot, but I otherwise feel pretty good," he says. "As far as being in pain goes, it's not bad at all."

For that, Donald knows just who to thank. "All of my surgical teams at Mayo Clinic were astronomically good," he says. "They have to be in order to do what they did for me. I have total confidence in them and in everything they and Mayo Clinic have done for me."

Mayo's model of care at work

While he appreciates the recognition, Dr. Cassivi says credit should also be given to Donald for taking the initiative to reach out to Mayo Clinic for a second opinion.

"Mayo Clinic should be first of mind for people like Donald who want a second opinion, especially if the initial opinion doesn't seem to fit," he says. "We likely won't be able to change the facts of their case, but we can often see things from a different perspective, allowing for a novel or not previously considered approach."

That's just what happened in Donald's case. He also benefitted from Mayo Clinic's overall model of patient care, adds Dr. Cassivi.

"In some cases, like mine, it's your life on the line. So I'm not sure why you wouldn't want the best medical care and the best medical teams possible. I've gotten both at Mayo Clinic."

Donald Brotzman

"Within a matter of hours after his diagnosis, we were able to get a plan in place that involved three different surgical procedures for three different cancers, so that he could quickly — and in the proper sequence — be effectively treated within a short period of time," says Dr. Cassivi. "There's no other place in the world where that could have happened, and it's a classic example of Mayo's Model of Care."

Donald's case also exemplifies Mayo Clinic's core values of teamwork, compassion, excellence and healing.

"It's amazing how many different people you have working on your side when you're a patient at Mayo Clinic," Donald says. "In some cases, like mine, it's your life on the line. So I'm not sure why you wouldn't want the best medical care and the best medical teams possible. I've gotten both at Mayo Clinic."

HELPFUL LINKS

• Read more about lung, bladder and colon cancers.
• Learn about the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center.
• Explore Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus.
• Request an appointment.

The post Three Cancers, One Team Approach appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast, Dr. Paul Claus, outgoing medical director of Mayo Clinic’s Hyperbaric and Altitude Medicine Program, discusses the hyperbaric oxygen therapy program at Mayo Clinic. Also on the podcast, Dr. Saranya Chumsri, a medical oncologist at Mayo Clinic, discusses how cold cap therapy can help prevent chemotherapy-related hair loss. And Dr. Stephen Cassivi and John Osborn join the program to discuss the transatlantic partnership between Mayo Clinic and Oxford University. Dr. Cassivi is medical director for the collaboration and Osborn is an administrator for the project.

The post #MayoClinicRadio podcast: 12/2/17 appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Paul Claus, outgoing medical director of Mayo Clinic’s Hyperbaric and Altitude Medicine Program, will discuss the hyperbaric oxygen therapy program at Mayo Clinic. Also on the program, Dr. Saranya Chumsri, a medical oncologist at Mayo Clinic, will discuss how cold cap therapy can help prevent chemotherapy-related hair loss. And Dr. Stephen Cassivi and John Osborn will join the program to discuss the transatlantic partnership between Mayo Clinic and Oxford University. Dr. Cassivi is medical director for the collaboration and Osborn is an administrator for the project.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Paul Claus, outgoing medical director of Mayo Clinic’s Hyperbaric and Altitude Medicine Program, will discuss the hyperbaric oxygen therapy program at Mayo Clinic. Also on the program, Dr. Saranya Chumsri, a medical oncologist at Mayo Clinic, will discuss how cold cap therapy can help prevent chemotherapy-related hair loss. And Dr. Stephen Cassivi and John Osborn will join the program to discuss the transatlantic partnership between Mayo Clinic and Oxford University. Dr. Cassivi is medical director for the collaboration and Osborn is an administrator for the project.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Miss the show?  Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy / cold cap treatment / Oxford collaboration appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

The post Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Listen to the program on Saturday, March 18, at 9:05 a.m. CDT.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Access archived shows.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.