Pancreatic Cancer Survivor Roger Stump of Stapleton
Celebrates Life® At Cancer Treatment Centers of America®
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Joins Fellow Five-Year Cancer Survivors in Tree-Planting Ceremony
Zion, Illinois – June 5, 2009 – Roger Stump returned to Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center (Midwestern) in suburban Chicago today to celebrate his five years as a pancreatic cancer survivor. Stump was joined by doctors, hospital administration and the clinical support team in a tree planting ceremony in his honor. Five doves were released at the conclusion of the event to commemorate each year of his fighting survival.
Stump, 57 of Stapleton, Alabama was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer that had spread to his liver five years ago in Pensacola, Florida in the midst of Hurricane Ivan. Despite the risky weather, Roger and his wife were confident that it would be well worth the trip to see the top pancreatic doctor in Florida. So when the doctor looked at Roger’s CT scans, told him that he had one year to live and any chemotherapy would be like ‘deer hunting with a bb gun,’ he and his wife were determined to get a second opinion.
A few days later, Roger arrived at Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Zion, Illinois where his tests were re-run and he was given a treatment plan customized for his needs. “I was convinced that this was not going to kill me so I was certainly not about to get my affairs in order as the Pensacola doctor had encouraged,” Stump said. Roger’s treatment at CTCA consisted of intra-arterial chemotherapy that was delivered directly to the liver and fractionated dose chemotherapy. In addition to his chemo regimen, he also utilized complementary medicine such as naturopathic supplements and a tailored nutrition plan to ease side effects and improve his quality of life. “I was lucky to experience very few side effects from the treatments: no hair loss, no nausea, very little weight loss, no white blood cell loss and very little red blood cell loss,” Stump says.
Now, after being a cancer survivor of five years, Stump’s advice to other patients is clear, “Don’t accept a death sentence from your doctor like the one I was given in Florida. The mind is a powerful tool in the fight against cancer so when a cancer patient listens to and believes a negative doctor, they can start to program their own demise. Get another opinion and keep fighting.”
In addition to his work as a manufacturing engineer, Stump volunteers his time with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network giving hope to newly diagnosed patients that there are stage IV pancreatic cancer survivors out there and that they too can become one of them. He also enjoys spending time with his family, the importance of which cannot be understated throughout his battle with cancer. He and his wife Brenda raised three children, two of whom are adopted twins, who have gone on to bring nine more kids into the extended family (six of which were adopted from Haiti).
With so much life surrounding him, Stump remarks ‘how sweet it is’ to “wake up every morning with the healing gift God gave me…life after pancreatic cancer!” This year, 104 CTCA patients are celebrating their five-year triumph over cancer at CTCA at Midwestern Regional Medical Center. “At Cancer Treatment Centers of America, we surround each patient with a multidisciplinary care team that is designed to meet their individual needs,” said Anne Meisner, president and CEO at CTCA at Midwestern Regional Medical Center. “Our team provides state of the art treatment protocols with fully integrated complementary therapies. We empower our patients to help them take control of their cancer and every patient is treated as though they were a member of our own family. We are so proud of our celebrants and honored to acknowledge and celebrate their journey and continued success,” she added.
About Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) is a national network of hospitals providing a comprehensive, fully integrative approach to cancer treatment. CTCA serves patients with advanced cancer from all 50 states at facilities located in suburban Chicago, Philadelphia, Tulsa and suburban Phoenix. For more information about Cancer Treatment Centers of America, go to cancercenter.com.
