"There Are Always Options at Penn" - Ken Shaw, Head and Neck Cancer Survivor

Ken Shaw could no longer ignore the swollen gland on the side of his neck. At first, he just brushed it off as part of a cold or sore throat, but as weeks went by and it wasn't getting better, he decided to have it checked out by his family physician in Woodbury, NJ.

But he still wasn't worried. After all, Ken never smoked. He was 63, retired, and feeling good. However, when the biopsy came back positive for head and neck cancer, his doctor immediately sent him to head and neck surgeon Gregory Weinstein, MD, at Penn Medicine.

“I had stage 4 cancer, and needed a complicated surgery that involved a graft from my thigh in order to rebuild the back of my throat, but Dr. Weinstein removed the cancer that January, and I started radiation and chemotherapy after that,” remembers Ken. “I really had no time to react to the fact I had cancer because it all moved so fast.”

Ken’s team of cancer specialists at the Abramson Cancer Center had planned with him a road to recovery involving therapy and recovery. The journey was going as planned, but that September of 2009, a PET scan showed a spot on his left lung.

The cancer had spread.

Next Steps

This time, Ken met with a thoracic surgeon at Penn, John Kucharczuk, MD, who would remove the tumor from his left lung as well as third of the lung’s tissue. Ken began chemotherapy and was on the road to recovery again, until another tumor was found on his right lung and Dr. Kucharczuk removed that as well.

“Everyone at Penn worked together,” says Ken. “I had a team of 10 specialists all focused on me, all talking together, and maintaining communication with my primary care doctor in New Jersey. I didn’t need to think about anything but getting well.”

Getting well wasn’t easy for Ken, who fought through one more tumor surgery on his back. But he fought and regained some of the strength he once had.

Getting Back On Course

Ken even got back on the golf course, a game he loved and missed, and did some traveling with his wife.

“I used to belong to a local golf club, and I’d travel with my buddies to go play golf at different courses,” he says. “It felt great to be back on the course.”

Today, Ken is cancer-free, but is facing another diagnosis – multiple sclerosis – for which he is being treated at Penn Medicine.

Ken’s been through a lot, but he’s not giving up.

“I figure, you have to fight it, there isn’t anything else to do...I’m not going to sit back and just fade away,” he says. “You don’t have to give up. There are always options at Penn Medicine.”

Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center is leading the way in breakthrough cancer treatment. If you or someone you know has been touched by cancer, the power to find the Cure is Within. Hear our stories and find out more today.

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I Was Given Four Months To Live…More Than Three Years Ago

Jules B. Rauch, III, was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in 2004. Since then, his cancer has come and gone – but always came back with a vengeance. In 2010, he was told he had four months to live, but a clinical trial at the Abramson Cancer Center gave him hope to find his cure within.

My health challenges began in 2004 at the age of 67. I was being treated for prostate cancer in Florida, and the nurse recommended I have the small, deep red spot on my forehead checked out.

I did, and the diagnosis was stage 4 melanoma.

I had the spot removed just before Christmas of that year. Four years later, two small lumps appeared in front of my left ear. A biopsy and full body CT/PET scan confirmed the melanoma had returned and that year on November 11, 2008, I had a left parotidectomy and 26 lymph nodes were removed in the process. Thirty-three radiation treatments later, and I was back on the road to recovery.

Unfortunately, in July 2009, another scan showed the cancer had returned – this time, it had spread to the left parotid area and a re-excision was required. Also, it had spread to my right shoulder - and this was radiated (no surgery). Nine months later, the cancer had moved again into my back, which was also radiated.

Despite all of my medical treatments and issues, I never stopped fishing, golfing and exercising my Labrador Retriever. Of course, my medical treatments were serious, but I never wanted them to interfere with my lifestyle. My wife, Beverly, and I maintained our schedule of spending 4 to 5 months in Cape May, and the rest of the year in Florida.

I wasn’t going to give in.

But when a scan in June 2010 showed metastatic melanoma – and it spread to my right shoulder, more in my backbone and both lungs, I was given four months to live. My only option was to quickly get into a clinical trial with a drug called Ipilimumab. We were in Cape May, and I was referred to the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Days later, I found myself in the office of Lynn Schuchter, MD, chief of the division of hematology/oncology. I told her, “I’m not ready to die,” and hoped to be included in her trial. I was accepted, and began the course of treatment – four infusions, one hour each for four weeks.

That October, only a few months later, another CT/PET scan revealed all the cancer was gone.

It was like being reborn. I had another opportunity on life.

No Cancer Has Returned

Since then, in these past three years, all of screenings are negative and show no cancer has returned. None. Dr. Schuchter tells me I’m her “poster boy” for clinical trials and at 76 years old, I could not be more proud to have her as my doctor.

The gratitude, appreciation and outstanding medical and emotional care I’ve received at the Abramson Cancer Center from Dr. Schuchter, and her team cannot be put into words. Their professionalism and generosity has given me and many others the opportunity of life.

Of course, nothing could have been possible without the support of my wife and caregiver, Beverly, and our supporting friends and family. Together with the Abramson Cancer Center, their faith and prayers helped me in my positive fight against cancer.

Watch Jules tell his story and learn more
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"I Feel Like I've Beat Cancer." - Carlette, Breast Cancer Survivor

Growing up, cancer was a common topic in Carlette Knox’s household.

One of five daughters, Carlette’s mother was a two-time breast cancer survivor who eventually lost her fight with pancreatic cancer in 2011. Her father died of colon cancer, and many members of her family fought cancer in some form.

Yet when Carlette felt a lump in her breast in fall of 2009 at the young age of 34, she blew it off hoping it would go away on its own.

“At the time, my mother was going through treatment for pancreatic cancer, and I had a lot going on in my life,” she remembers. “Plus, I had already had a mammogram just a few months before, so I didn’t think it could be cancer.”

Six weeks later in December, when the lump hadn’t gone away, Carlette made an appointment for another mammogram that confirmed what she’d known deep down inside – she had breast cancer.

What Carlette didn’t know at the time, however, was that she was BRCA positive. Carlette carried a mutation on the breast cancer gene that made her predisposed to developing breast and ovarian cancer.

“My mother was diagnosed at the age of 35 and she experienced the devastating loss of her mother to this disease while growing up,” says Carlette who underwent BRCA mutation testing in 2010. “I also witnessed two of my aunts lose their battles with cancer. I knew firsthand the impact this disease had on the women in my family; the need to attack this diagnosis head on was evident.”

“I was introduced to the risk assessment program and with the help of a genetic counselor underwent testing to determine my cancer risks,” remembers Carlette. “When I learned I had a genetic mutation, I felt targeted. I don’t know why, I just took that diagnosis very personally – more so than my breast cancer diagnosis.”

However, that knowledge helped Carlette make the decision to have a bilateral mastectomy, complete removal and reconstruction of her breasts, as well as an oophorectomy, removal of her ovaries to reduce her risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Carlette also underwent chemotherapy to treat the breast cancer she had already developed.

“Learning about BRCA put into perspective my risk of breast cancer recurrence and ovarian cancer. My decision to remove the non-impacted breast tissue was supported by clinical trial data as well as my personal experience," she says.

"Seeing the effects of this disease throughout generations of women in my family was not a tradition I was willing to keep. While the procedure to have my ovaries removed itself was minimally invasive, the decision was not without much emotional turmoil on the inside. In my mind, this would change my landscape as a woman at such a young age. Ultimately, after researching the effects of ovarian cancer, I embraced this option as a blessing not a curse."

Today, Carlette is physically and emotionally better than she could have ever imagined.

“I don’t look or feel like any of what I went through. It may sound a bit crazy, but I’m grateful for the journey. My faith is stronger and as a result of this life changing experience I’ve been able to embark upon yet another journey.”

Carlette has become an advocate for women with breast cancer and the BRCA mutation at “Life Worth Living.”

“Life Worth Living is the realization of my passion to raise awareness, empower and support those impacted by cancer and to broadcast the message of hope aspiring them to live,” says Carlette.

“Today, I feel like I have beat cancer. I did everything I could do from a care standpoint, and I want to give as much as I can, because I keep seeing younger women impacted by a breast cancer diagnosis. I want help women find their voice and tap into the hope of overcoming their diagnoses and treatments.”

Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center is leading the way in breakthrough cancer treatment. If you or someone you know has been touched by cancer, the power to find the Cure is Within.
Hear our stories and find out more today.

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The Cure is Within: Lauryn's Breast Cancer Story

My mother’s sister, my aunt, had breast cancer and I started mammograms early because of her diagnosis. I had my daughter at 41, and nursed her for almost two years – so I missed a few mammograms in between.

At 43, I had my first mammogram since having my daughter, and that’s when I learned I had cancer.

I’ll never forget the moment in September 2012 when I got the call from my gynecologist, Dr. Bernadette Wheeler. My 2 year old was running around and I walked to a quiet place in my home to listen closely.

Breast cancer. Surgery. Breast removal. Appointments. These are the words I heard.

I brought my daughter to my parents’ home, who have always been extremely supportive, so I could have some time to myself to reflect on this news I’d just received. Soon thereafter, I met with Dr. Wheeler who helped me make an appointment with Penn breast surgeon, Dahlia Sataloff, MD. I felt more comfortable getting all of my care at Penn Medicine, and now at Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center.

Surgery – And a Surprise

On October 24, I was scheduled to have my left breast removed. I was scared, but ready to have this cancer taken out, and start on my journey back to health.

As I was lying in the room, getting ready for surgery, I heard a familiar voice. The curtain opened and there was my best friend, Lynette. She’d driven all the way from Savannah, Georgia to be with me on this day. I was elated. Her visit, and knowing she came all the way up to support me, was the best thing about the day.

The surgery lasted about six hours. I had reconstruction of the breast done at the same time, and everything went according to plan. I was healing well, and the nursing staff was excellent in preparing me for what to expect at home.

Next Steps - Chemotherapy

Because I had positive lymph nodes, I needed both radiation treatment and chemotherapy after surgery, but chemotherapy was first. Again, I felt most comfortable coming to Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center for all of my treatment, so for 16 weeks, I was a “frequent flyer” at Penn getting my chemotherapy.

It was a tough road. Treatments left me nauseous and tired. I’d taken some time off of work, which was helpful, and of course, my parents were there to support me and help me with my daughter. Robin Herzog, a clinical nurse practitioner at the Abramson Cancer Center, was a great source of support for me too. She encouraged me to never give up and really understood what I was going through emotionally.

Around this time, I also had genetic testing to see if I carried the BRCA gene mutation. It was important for me to know because I have a daughter, but thankfully, I did not carry the gene mutation.

The End in Sight

Once my chemotherapy treatments were over, radiation was next. I was able to have my radiation treatments at the Abramson Cancer Center located at Penn Medicine Valley Forge. It was convenient for me, and knowing that I was still being cared for by Penn Medicine I never had to worry about one doctor not talking to another, everyone was on the same team - my team.

Dr. Nagda was my radiation specialist, and after 23 weeks of radiation treatment, I am now, cancer free.

You know, at two, my daughter didn’t really “get” that I had cancer. We talked about how I was sick, and how I had a “boo boo” but I wanted her to guide the way and let her actions and questions tell me how much I needed to tell her.

But even at two, she was always there for me. Throughout my treatment, I wrote her letters – letters that told her how much she helped me, what it was like to go through treatment for breast cancer, and how one day she, too, will have the strength to fight anything life throws her way.

Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center is leading the way in breakthrough cancer treatment. If you or someone you know has been touched by cancer, the power to find the Cure is Within.
Hear our stories and find out more today.

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Breast Cancer Survivor Finds the Cure is Within at Penn's Abramson Cancer Center

Carole Gross is a fighter.

Eight years ago, she battled thyroid cancer.

She won.

But this year, a new fight was chosen for her – this time, the battle would be in her breast.

Within two weeks of her diagnosis of breast cancer following a routine mammogram, Carole had a lumpectomy at Doylestown Hospital, a member of the Penn Cancer Network.

“I’m a ‘get it done’ kind of person,” says Carole. “I just wanted it out so we could move to the next step.”

A mother of two, Carole was also working as a physical therapist with home health care division of Doylestown Hospital. Because of her busy schedule, she knew having follow-up treatment that included radiation therapy close to her home in Doylestown was essential.

She chose Penn Radiation Oncology Doylestown. It was there she met William Rate, MD, PhD, radiation oncologist at Penn Medicine.

“Dr. Rate was amazing,” she says. “He asked me about myself – he put me as a person before my cancer diagnosis. He just made me feel I was important – that I was comfortable with the whole process. And, he presented information to me in a very understanding and reassuring way.”

Dr. Rate explained how her radiation treatment would proceed, and ensured her he would be with her every step of the way.

He was.

When a scan showed something on Carole’s hip, Dr. Rate personally consulted with his colleagues and asked Carole if he could make appointments for her so she could focus on her treatments.

“Within a half hour of Dr. Rate’s phone call, all of my imaging studies and reports were sent to another specialist I could see for my hip,” says Carole. “Everything was seamless, but Dr. Rate made me so comfortable with the process.”

Carole’s treatments spanned her children’s summer break, and she was able to bring her kids with her to her treatments. She jokes that her kids felt comfortable, because they knew her mom was being treated so well.

“What could have been a very negative situation turned out to be positive,” says Carole. “As soon as we walked through the door, we were greeted like we were friends, or part of the family. They valued me as a person; they didn’t just see me as a diagnosis.”

Following her radiation treatment, Carole was diagnosed with chronic leukemia. Dr. Rate was still there for her.

“Dr. Rate continues to look at the ‘whole picture’ and the ways in which each treatment or piece of care I receive fit into my overall care plan,” says Carole. “Even though he was primarily treating my breast cancer, I found it reassuring he was a part of my entire course of care.”

Finally Carole adds: “His staff is amazing also and very personable and professional.

“Penn Radiation Oncology allowed me to have treatment at the Abramson Cancer Center within my own community,” says Carole. “It was a wonderful opportunity.”

“I wouldn’t have wanted my cancer treatment anywhere else.”

Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center is leading the way in breakthrough cancer treatment. If you or someone you know has been touched by cancer, the power to find the Cure is Within.
Hear our stories and find out more today.

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