DANTE'S STORY - AN UNEXPECTED LIFE AFTER RETIREMENT
Dante’s life took an unexpected turn in 2018, while he was still working as the general manager of a printing production facility in Richmond. After experiencing some issues with his prostate, he was referred to a urologist for further examination. By January 2019, he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
He had looked forward to enjoying life as a retiree in 2019, with golfing being a key item on his agenda. Unfortunately, his plans shifted and he was soon faced with a difficult decision – radiation therapy or prostatectomy. Dante opted for the prostatectomy, hoping to remove the cancer from his body. While the surgery was mostly successful, some traces of cancer remained in his blood and by early 2020, his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were elevated, indicating that the cancer had spread.
Dante’s next course of treatment included six weeks of chemotherapy. Despite the symptoms he experienced, including weakness, fatigue and hair loss, the treatment did not slow his cancer from progressing. Dante’s next option was to participate in a clinical trial, which was unsuccessful, followed by a second clinical trial with the same result.
It was around this time when Dante’s doctors suggested he participate in the genitourinary (GU) biobank. The GU biobank collects biological samples, such as blood and tissue, along with clinical data from cancer patients. These samples help researchers develop better treatments and advance the understanding of various cancers.
“I didn’t see any downside to providing a blood sample that could be used to study the effects of immunotherapy or other treatments,” says Dante. “It just made sense.”
Although the GU biobank exists to advance cancer research and improve future patient outcomes, Dante’s doctors were able to examine his blood work through the biobank’s data and determine that he could benefit from a new immunotherapy treatment. His doctors identified a 50 percent chance that this treatment could be effective against his type of prostate cancer.
“We tried immunotherapy, and lo and behold after the first month my PSA levels were undetectable, blood work was stable, and all scans showed that metastases had stabilized,” Dante recalls. “For the last 52 months, I’ve been doing an immunotherapy infusion for one hour a week at BC Cancer and every few months I’ve had scans and so far it’s all good!”
For Dante, participating in the GU biobank was a straightforward process. His doctor explained the details of the biobank and provided him with additional resources to read through. For patient confidentiality, Dante’s blood sample was labeled with a number instead of his name.
“Biobanks can look at patient samples and share information with physicians about which treatments work and which don’t work,” said Dante. “This is a bonus for everyone, and I think the benefit is huge.”
Dante recognizes that the more blood samples scientists have to examine, the more they can understand how the cancers work. He says that this is just another good tool in the arsenal that gives researchers more opportunities to target specific cancers. “It’s a win-win for everybody,” he concludes.