187: Andrew Allers survived kidney cancer | yervoy | opdivo | IVIG | prednisone | nephrectomy | vena cava
Release Date: 08/28/2026
194: Andrew Kettner survived testicular cancer | etoposide | ifosfamde | cisplatin | sternotomy | teratoma
Cancer Interviews
In 2024, Andrew Kettner began to experience shortness of breath and a cough that wouldn’t go away. This led to the detection of a mass extending from his heart to his lung. Tumor marker tests resulted in an incredible diagnosis of a rare form of testicular cancer. He was put on a chemotherapy regimen of etoposide, ifosfamide and cisplatin, followed by a sternotomy for a resection of the mass. The regimen was difficult, but Andrew achieved survivorship and says his health is about 70 percent of what it, pre-diagnosis. Andrew Kettner was nearing the...
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193: Cortney Stevens survived Hodgkin’s lymphoma | adriamycin | bleomycin | vinblastine | dacarbazine | lupron
Cancer Interviews
In 2018, an avid runner, Cortney Stevens suddenly started feeling unusually tired and unusually itchy. Seeking medical attention, the first doctor she went to said she had a six-inch mediastinal mass that went from her left lung to her clavicle, but that it wasn’t cancer. However, Cortney sought a second opinion, and after further testing, she was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She was put on a chemotherapy regimen of adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine, plus external beam radiation. Cortney cycles because she can no...
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192: Susie Sanchez survived anal cancer | Mitomycin-C | Xarelto | fissure | anal pap smear | anascope
Cancer Interviews
For anyone battling cancer, having to deal with radiation therapy or chemotherapy is tough enough. However, upon learning in 2021 that she had anal cancer, Susie Sanchez was simultaneously prescribed both over a grueling six-week period. Amazingly, she completed the regimen of Mitomycin-C and Xarelto and was told there was no evidence of disease. Because of the radiation’s burning in the pelvic region, she had to relearn how to walk, and reduced control of her bladder and intestine forces her to closely monitor what she eats and drinks and when, combined with always needing...
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191: Jameel Haiat survived throat cancer | gastric tube | cisplatin | tracheotomy | radiation therapy
Cancer Interviews
In 2023, Jameel Haiat began to experience pain in his throat so severe he couldn’t swallow. This led to a diagnosis of throat cancer. The tumor was extremely close to his vocal cords. Jameel was given the option of a tracheotomy or a combined regimen of cisplatin chemotherapy and 33 rounds of radiation therapy. The former raised the possibility that Jameel could lose his ability to speak, which is why he went with the chemo and radiation. The treatment was needed as Jameel said he felt as he had “razor blades” in his mouth and throat. He now consumes...
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190: John Morrissey survived Stage One colon cancer | colorectal cancer | cancerous polyp
Cancer Interviews
Not long after going in for a colonoscopy in 2015, John Morrissey was told he had Stage One colon cancer. A Denver-based radio traffic reporter, John learned of his diagnosis with a telephone call from his oncologist two minutes before he was scheduled to deliver a live report! He composed himself, delivered a flawless update, then immediately decided he had to take action. In three weeks, he underwent a surgical procedure that successfully removed a cancerous polyp. After three weeks of rest, John returned to work. He goes in for colonoscopies every...
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189: Steve Harrision survived lung cancer | carboplatin | pleural fusion | pemetrexed | bronchoscopy
Cancer Interviews
When Steve Harrison experienced fatigue, back soreness and shoulder pain in 2024, he attributed it to his “getting old.” He was in his early fifties. But when he began to have difficulty breathing, he sought medical attention. Because Steve also had asthma, his doctor had COPD, she prescribed an inhaler. That did little to no good. He saw another doctor who ran a variety of tests, which found pleural fusion. After a bronchoscopy and a biopsy, he was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. In addition to chemotherapy, the oncologist prescribed a TKI...
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188: Stuart Hopgood survived prostate cancer | needle-point biopsy |Trelstar | Erieada | TURP Surgery
Cancer Interviews
Prior to his 2025 prostate cancer diagnosis, Stuart Hopgood experienced no symptoms. But a visit to his general practitioner included blood work, which revealed a PSA of 74.2! Stuart was referred to a urologist, who called for a needle-point biopsy. The biopsy not only showed Stuart that he had Stage IV prostate cancer, but that it had metastasized to his pelvic area, a rib and his clavicle. He put on Trelstar, a form of hormonal therapy, six weeks of radiation therapy and Erieada, a form of oral chemotherapy. While Stuart will never be cured, this regimen...
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187: Andrew Allers survived kidney cancer | yervoy | opdivo | IVIG | prednisone | nephrectomy | vena cava
Cancer Interviews
In 2015, Andrew Allers was hit and fell while competing in a soccer match. He immediately sought medical attention. and a CT scan revealed a baseball-sized tumor on one of his kidneys, which led to a diagnosis of Stage III renal cell carcinoma, or, kidney cancer. A radical open-assisted nephrectomy removed the entire cancerous kidney. Andrew thought he was in the clear, but in 2019, he was diagnosed with Stage IV kidney cancer. Not only that, but the cancer had spread to his bones and his brain. However, all of the above was successfully treated with an...
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186: Dominique Bieger survived breast cancer | letrozole | aromatase inhibitor | sentinel node | necrosis
Cancer Interviews
In 2024, Dominique Bieger knew something was wrong when she felt a tickling, biting sensation in her left breast. After a series of mammograms, an echogram, an ultrasound and a vacuum assisted biopsy, she learned she had invasive ductal carcinoma, or breast cancer. She would have to get a quadrant of the cancerous breast surgically removed. Dominique was happy to learn she could avoid chemotherapy, instead for hormonal treatment, featuring letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor. The letrozole left her hands, her feet and joints in severe pain. She went off the...
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185: David Peters survived prostate cancer | rezum procedure | sacrum | colonics | cachexia | metformin
Cancer Interviews
For David Peters, what began as medical attention to address an enlarged prostate in 2022 became a diagnosis of Stage 4B prostate cancer. Prior to his undergoing a Rezum procedure, a pre-op workup a PSA level of 19. However, nobody at the hospital bothered to check the PSA level before performing the procedure, which placed David at great risk. Not long after that came his diagnosis. David’s care team recommended lifelong androgen deprivation therapy. He checked out the side effects and didn’t want to go that route. David instead opted for a three-week...
info_outlineIn 2015, Andrew Allers was hit and fell while competing in a soccer match. He immediately sought medical attention. and a CT scan revealed a baseball-sized tumor on one of his kidneys, which led to a diagnosis of Stage III renal cell carcinoma, or, kidney cancer. A radical open-assisted nephrectomy removed the entire cancerous kidney. Andrew thought he was in the clear, but in 2019, he was diagnosed with Stage IV kidney cancer. Not only that, but the cancer had spread to his bones and his brain. However, all of the above was successfully treated with an immunotherapy regimen, including ipilimumab and nivolumab. Physically, Andrew considers his health at about 65 percent of what it was pre-diagnosis, but his cognitive skills are just as sharp as ever.
Andrew Allers led an active lifestyle in 2015. From suburban Connecticut, he commuted to his job on Wall Street, but still found the time and energy to compete in an over-40 soccer league. It was during a match that he took a hit, fell on his side. Not only did he think he had broken a rib, but there was blood in his urine. He went to the emergency department. A CT scan was ordered, and it revealed a baseball-sized mass on his kidney. Andrew was referred to a urologist, who checked out the scan and told Andrew he had Stage III kidney cancer.
A radical open-assisted nephrectomy was performed to successfully remove the cancerous kidney. However, just two years later while playing tennis, he felt a pain in his back. A biopsy was performed and Stage IV kidney cancer was indicated. In addition, Andrew underwent a bone scan which revealed a tumor in his left hip socket. It was radiated immediately, but to be safe, he was put on an immunotherapy regimen with two agents, ipilimumab and nivolumab. Side effects included a full body rash and muscle aches making it difficult to make up and down stairs. The immunotherapy was supplemented with a rheumatological drug, IVIG, or intravenous immunoglobin. A few months later, his tumors had shrunk measurably.
There was yet another issue for Andrew. He experienced problems with his left field of vision, and underwent a CT scan, which he had a pair of brain tumors. For that he underwent a successful surgical procedure in May 2020.
These days from a physical perspective, Andrew Allers says his health is about 65 percent of what it was before his soccer accident. His biggest setback is that he can no longer run. He says his cognitive skills have not suffered and that his mental health is better than ever.
Additional Resources:
Support Group:
The Kidney Cancer Association https://www.kidneycancer.org
Patients Stories Andrew has written for The Kidney Cancer Association:
https://www.kidneycancer.org/andrew-allers/
https://www.kidneycancer.org/andrew-allers-plan/