Finding Strength in Prayer and Proton Therapy at Penn

Dennis Dobie received proton therapy for cancer at Penn.

Dennis Dobie of Cherry Hill, NJ, is a retired mechanical engineer and urethral cancer survivor. In this article, he shares the story of his diagnosis, and how proton therapy at Penn’s Roberts Proton Therapy Center and his faith helped save his life. 
 
After my wife Ginny and I returned from a vacation in 2009, I realized it was time to deal with some health problems I had been ignoring because I did not wish to miss this “bucket list” trip. I had some pain in my right side, had lost about ten pounds, and had a loss in appetite.

My family physician ordered an ultrasound, which revealed a mass in the right side of my abdomen. This was followed by many tests, biopsies and blood work that resulted in a diagnosis of uretheral transitional cell carcinoma, an aggressive form of cancer, which had spread outside the kidney.

It was at this point I knew I was in real trouble. My wife and I bonded closer than ever after 45 years of marriage and vowed to battle this cancer together.

First stop: The OR

Surgery to remove the tumor was my first course of treatment, but my local urologist was not confident undertaking this extremely complicated and difficult procedure. He referred me to a specialist in urologic cancer at Penn Medicine, whom I met and would ultimately perform my surgery.

Emails to family and friends sent by my wife resulted in great support in terms of numerous get-well cards, notes, phone calls, suggestions for care and ways to deal with treatment, and most importantly, prayers.

Going into surgery I was very calm until I entered the operating room; it was the largest operating room I had ever seen. It finally dawned on me that this was major surgery!

The surgery took longer than expected, as the cancer had spread extensively from the ureter into my kidney, abdominal and pelvic cavities. Because of its location, not all of the tumor could be removed. I was to begin chemotherapy six weeks after surgery to deal with the remaining tumor.

Next: Proton Therapy For Cancer

Chemotherapy had removed 90 percent of the remaining cancer, and I was to continue treatment with radiation therapy. I met with a brilliant radiation oncologist, Dr. John Christodouleas who prescribed for me a new type of treatment available at Penn – proton therapy.

The Roberts Proton Therapy Center had opened only eight months earlier. It’s the largest and most advanced facility in the world to offer proton beam therapy for cancer.

I was the first urethral cancer patient at Penn to receive this therapy whereby carefully directed proton (nucleus of a hydrogen atom) beams kill cancer with very little adjacent tissue and organs damage.

After seven weeks of daily treatment and six more chemotherapy treatments weekly in conjunction with my proton therapy, I was cancer-free.

We met so many wonderful caregivers at Penn and made many friends there. I often look back and thank God for putting me with the best clinicians, a great hospital, and support from friends and family.

Today, I enjoy writing a self-published book called Prayer, Penn Health and Pond Scum. In it, I discuss my battle with cancer and how Penn Medicine, prayer, proton therapy, and diet helped me heal.