Â鶹ӳ»­

Sometimes, when people receive a cancer diagnosis, they start going from one doctor to the next, hoping to hear better news.  

But when I had my first melanoma recurrence in early 2014, my wife and I put our faith in God. We feel like we were led to MD Anderson. It has a reputation as one of the best cancer hospitals in the world. So, Monica and I figured that if I couldn¡¯t make it even with their help, then maybe I just wasn¡¯t destined to make it.  

MD Anderson has rewarded our faith every step of the way. 

Why we went to MD Anderson

I sought treatment for my initial melanoma diagnosis near our home in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. We turned to MD Anderson when the cancer reappeared a few years later.  

My local oncologist had removed the second melanoma nodule surgically, then sent me to a nearby specialist. That specialist said there was not much more they could do. They told us that statistically, I only had about three to six months left to live. They advised me to start getting my affairs in order.  

Monica and I were shocked. I was only 59 at the time, and otherwise very healthy. We sat in the car for a few minutes afterward in stunned silence. Monica started crying.  

Thankfully, our adult children refused to accept that prognosis. They started researching cancer hospitals online and quickly identified MD Anderson as the best place to go for melanoma treatment. We called the next day and made an appointment. 

¡®Don¡¯t give up hope¡¯

At MD Anderson, we met with Dr. Wen-Jen Hwu, a melanoma specialist who has since retired. The first thing she told us was, ¡°Don¡¯t give up hope.¡± The second thing she said was that three different drugs were on the cusp of approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. If I could stay alive for long enough, I could try them. 

That sounded great to us. So, my care team did their own tests and scans to confirm my diagnosis. To everyone¡¯s surprise, they found no evidence of active disease. We agreed to take a ¡°watch-and-wait¡± approach and schedule frequent checkups.  

I also stopped taking adalimumab. That¡¯s a targeted therapy drug I¡¯d been using for years to control my psoriasis. Since it weakens the immune system, they recommended discontinuing it and substituting something else. 

My stage IV melanoma treatment

Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t have long to wait for another melanoma recurrence. In June 2017, routine body scans showed that the cancer had returned. It was now in my left lung. It was also in my brain.  

To shrink the tumors, my care team recommended a pair of targeted therapy agents called dabrafenib and trametinib. Those worked so well on the lung nodules that within a few months, they were almost undetectable.  

The brain lesions were more stubborn. They shrank a little, but not enough. So, my care team recommended Gamma Knife? radiosurgery to treat them. I had four brain metastases treated with that at MD Anderson: two in 2017 and two in 2018. 

The following year, another brain tumor started showing signs of growth. This one wasn¡¯t eligible for the Gamma Knife procedure. So, I met with neuro-oncologist and neurosurgeon . Dr. Weinberg performed a brain surgery to remove the tumor on Oct. 15, 2019.  

The last thing my doctors recommended was a third targeted therapy agent to reduce my chances of recurrence. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to tolerate it. So, I ended up having three days of fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery instead, under radiation oncologist . 

My life today, as a statistical outlier

I¡¯ve shown no evidence of disease since 2019. I just graduated to getting my checkups every six months, instead of every three. I consider that a miracle.  

Apparently, I¡¯m not the only one. When I first met Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Rinata Simien about five years ago in the Melanoma & Skin Center, she said, ¡°Mr. Daake, I¡¯d like to shake your hand. I¡¯ve never met a 10-year survivor of this disease before.¡±  

It¡¯s been 15 years now since my initial diagnosis. I¡¯ll be 71 this winter. I still enjoy traveling, playing with my grandkids and competing at pickleball every morning. Honestly, this is the best I¡¯ve felt in years. 

I¡¯ve since learned that only about 5% of people with a similar diagnosis make it this far. But I¡¯m also very aware that this wouldn¡¯t have been possible without MD Anderson. When other doctors wrote me off, MD Anderson kept me going. Put simply: I wouldn¡¯t be alive without them. I am very grateful and abundantly blessed. 

or call 1-877-632-6789.