Lyle Garretson

Bolivar, MO

Small-cell Lung Cancer Survivor

I've been a farmer and a businessman all my life. My wife and I have operated a trash service in Bolivar for the last 36 years. I had no idea I had cancer. But the kind of cancer I was diagnosed with is a fast-moving cancer that research shows has a life expectancy of approximately one and a half years from diagnosis. It's already been over two years since diagnosis for me, so I feel like I'm almost approaching miracle status.

I went to a hospital in nearby Springfield, Missouri in February 2004 and was told I had pneumonia. They gave me antibiotics and sent me home. Over the weekend, I continued to have problems, including fever, cold sweats, chest pain and difficulty breathing. A second round to the hospital led my doctor to do a CT scan of my chest, hoping it would tell more than the original x-ray. They found a tumor in the airway of my left lung. The plan of treatment was chemotherapy. Radiation was not an option, because the tumor was actually inside the airway. I did six months of chemotherapy with some success, but the tumor was back within two months after treatment.

During those two months between the end of my chemo and before I knew the cancer was back, a friend who was a patient at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) in Tulsa told me about the facility. He also said he knew another patient there with the same kind of cancer as mine. This patient had successful radiation, so I knew it was an option at CTCA.

When I learned the cancer was back, I called CTCA. I came the first time in November 2004. I learned more in one hour at CTCA about my cancer than I'd learned in six months at Springfield. I also learned the cancer was not only back but was growing. I had a second tumor located within the left lung as well as the original one in my airway.

Dr. Nader, my radiologist at CTCA, did brachytherapy radiation five times on the tumor in my airway and 25 regular radiation treatments on the other tumor. Dr. Ketterl, my oncologist, recommended chemotherapy in combination with the radiation. After the third brachytherapy session, Dr. Nader told my wife and me that the tumor in my airway was decreasing quite a bit.

I'm now on Tarceva, an oral drug that targets specific cancers as maintenance. In January, when I had a complete scan, Dr. Ketterl and Dr. Nader were happy to deliver the news that there is no active cancer at this point. I return to CTCA every two months for follow-up now.

I believe God led me to CTCA. I know my faith has helped me deal with this cancer. You have to have faith and a positive attitude to fight cancer. I gave my life to Christ when I was 16 years old and have felt God's presence in my life. For some reason, when I was diagnosed, I knew I was going to beat the cancer. Each day I live past what's considered normal life expectancy for this kind of cancer, I have beaten it.