JOSEPH JOYCE

Stage:Stage III

I was diagnosed in December, 2005. My tumor, while deeply invasive, was not ulcerated. First surgery removed the tumor. Pathology suggested a second surgery to remove more margin. Lymphoscintigraphy determined which lymph nodes provided the potential pathway for metastasizing to organs. A third surgery removed sentinel lymph nodes and it was determined the cancer had spread to the lymph system.  A fourth surgery removed many lymph nodes under one arm. After surgical recover time, I was prepared to administer interferon via self administered injections but qualified for a vaccine trial called Mel 44 and took a series of injections with a chemotherapy adjunct over several month period. After that, it was years and years of MRIs, CT Scans, X-Rays and tons of blood work that continue today on an annual basis. But no recurrence events thankfully. 

I am so fortunate that I grew up and live in Houston and had MD Anderson a few miles away. That hospital is deserving of its reputation as the premier cancer hospital in the world. If anyone reading this is ever confronted with it, fear is normal. Education is important. Treatment is vital. I had two young kids at the time, old enough to be afraid of cancer and what it could do to me, but young enough to lack the overall comprehension of what was going on. For me, family was the difference. That support from my immediate and extended group was tremendous and I’ll never forget what people did for me as I went through it.