126: Jon Brent survived acute lymphoblastic leukemia | dexamethasone | methotrexate | prednisone
Release Date: 08/22/2024
Cancer Interviews
Former NFL star Rick Upchurch seemed to be in good health, but in 2010, he began to experience night sweats, fatigue and aches and pains. He saw his doctor, who ordered blood work. The test results revealed his white blood cell count was very high, and his general practitioner gave him the address of another doctor to see. Rick and his wife were shocked to learn the doctor they had been told to see was an oncologist. That doctor called for a bone marrow biopsy, which confirmed Rick had chronic myelogenous leukemia, a rare form of blood cancer that is tied to a genetic...
info_outlineCancer Interviews
Jeff Kallis survived renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer. When he experienced pain in his lower flank and saw blood in his urine, he sought medical attention. A CT urogram revealed a stone in his left kidney and a mass in his right kidney. A biopsy confirmed he had clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Jeff underwent a radical nephrectomy on his right kidney. The operation was painful, but a success. Through exercise and a healthy diet, Jeff says he feels better than he did before his diagnosis. He shares his story with the @CancerInterviews...
info_outlineCancer Interviews
What John Morley originally thought was a urinary tract infection turned out to be a diagnosis of bladder cancer. At first, he was told it was a mild form of the disease. Then the diagnosis was upgraded to T2 Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer, requiring a radical cystectomy meaning he would need to get his bladder removed. His care team next told John he would also have to get his prostate taken out. Next a mass was detected on his spleen, which meant that it, too, would have to be removed. Treatment and recovery were tough, but he now urinates into a bag known as an...
info_outlineCancer Interviews
When Jessica Whorton discovered lumps on her left breast in 2011, she sought medical attention. The doctors she spoke with said breast cancer was not indicated. She walked around with the lumps for another nine months before seeking a second opinion. Tests revealed she had Stage 3A invasive ductal carcinoma. Doctors urged that she get a double mastectomy even though her right breast was still healthy. After chemotherapy and radiation, Jessica achieved survivorship in 2013. Jessica thought there was something wrong when she detected three lumps...
info_outlineCancer Interviews
Susan Svoboda was accustomed to going in for her mammogram every November. She enjoyed a healthy lifestyle, which included running 65 half marathons. But in late 2021, after her mammogram, she was called to return to the doctor’s office. After scans and a biopsy, she was diagnosed with Stage 1-2 invasive ductal carcinoma. Given her healthy routine, Susan was shocked, but she quickly had to turn her attention to her treatment. In 2022, she underwent a successful lumpectomy. Because of the location of the lump, and her low Oncotype DX score, the oncologist...
info_outlineCancer Interviews
In 2021, Albertina Dancy began to experience abdominal pain, but that wasn’t all. She also had gastrointestinal issues, jaundice and other problems. However, she didn’t take them seriously and thought they could be successfully addressed with over-the-counter remedies. When that didn’t happen, she sought medical attention. Albertina’s doctor said the symptoms, combined with her existing fatty liver disease, merited a trip to an oncologist. A series of scans and tests, plus the stiffness of her liver, led to a diagnosis of liver cancer. The...
info_outlineCancer Interviews
After a long list of health issues, Karen Humphries was diagnosed with a rare type of bile duct cancer called cholangiocarcinoma. She was initially diagnosed in 2021 with Stage 2B gallbladder cancer, had her gallbladder removed, after which the diagnosis was changed to Stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma. Karen underwent a two-part liver resection and a chemotherapy regimen and went into remission. Two years later, she was again diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma. Her treatment included biliary stents. Karen knows her cancer is incurable but has survived and leads a happy...
info_outlineCancer Interviews
Erin Cummings is still going strong despite being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 1972. At age 15, she noticed a lump on her throat and another on her chest. That led to a diagnosis of Stage 3B Hodgkin lymphoma. She was shocked at her diagnosis but initially had trouble putting into perspective just what she was up against because she cancer was something suffered by old people. Even though she achieved survivorship, she still deals with residual side effects from her treatment regimen. Nonetheless, Erin has gone on to compete in eight marathons and has...
info_outlineCancer Interviews
Art Still’s body felt the ravages of playing professional football for twelve years, but when he suffered atrial fibrillation, he sought medical attention. His doctor suggested he undergo a genetic test, which revealed he had the variant for a disease known as amyloidosis. While not cancer, if left untreated in a timely manner, it can lead to various types of blood cancer. Early detection, periodic shots and medication will not get rid of the variant, but they will team up to keep from developing into blood cancer. Art pays attention to diet, exercise and the right...
info_outlineCancer Interviews
Diana Ash had suffered from irritable bowel syndrome much of her life, but in 2019, she believed the IBS symptoms she felt were something altogether different. Her concerns were proven correct when an ultrasound indicated a mass near her abdomen the size of a “mini football.” Not long after that, she was diagnosed with Stage 1C Ovarian Cancer. Diana underwent an oophorectomy, a surgical procedure that successfully removed one ovary and one fallopian tube. After the surgery, she had to undergo BEP chemotherapy, an extremely aggressive regimen. However, she...
info_outlineJon Brent shares his story of surviving acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood cancer. He was diagnosed at age two. Jon had to undergo an aggressive chemotherapy regimen, which included vincristine, dexamethasone, methotrexate and prednisone; but that wasn’t enough, because he also had to face a bone marrow transplant. Between his diagnosis and his treatment, Jon has been in pain all his life, and expects to always be in pain. Nonetheless, he approaches life with a smile and happily takes part in ultimate Frisbee and playing the drums.
Jon Brent of Windsor, Ontario, Canada was an energetic toddler, then suddenly in 1995 he became unaccountably lethargic. His parents sought medical attention. Blood work revealed very high white blood cell counts, which led to his diagnosis of acute lymphblastic leukemia. Jon was told his type of cancer has a very low survival rate.
Doctors prescribed three years of experimental chemotherapy protocols. The medications he took included vincristine, dexamethasone, methotrexate and prenisone. Unfortunately, after those three years, Jon relapsed and had to undergo a bone marrow transplant. Jon was grateful that unlike bone marrow transplants from an earlier time, much of his procedure was executed with a pill. That said, byproducts of the transplant were shingles, chicken pox and Stage IV Graft Versus Host Disease, which affected his stomach, liver, skin and lungs.
As if cancer wasn’t tough enough, Jon Brent had to deal with it while going to elementary school, where kids can be cruel. However, Jon credits his mother with teaching him how to “self-regulate” and how to deflect the inevitable barbs from his classmates.
By way of advice, Jon Brent reminds anyone diagnosed with cancer that they are not alone. He says the grief from a cancer diagnosis is non-linear. It comes with sadness, some anger and a lot of questions. Jon says one doesn’t have to endure a setback and pretend it doesn’t hurt. He says everyone on a cancer journey can and should be on a team.
Additional Resources:
Support Groups:
Man Up to Cancer: https://www.manuptocancer.org
Childhood Cancer Canada: https://www.childhoodcancer.ca