The Best Birthday Gift Ever—Early Cancer Diagnosis

Ask LaMont about the best birthday gift he’s ever received, and the answer will surprise you—it’s his prostate cancer diagnosis.

The call came the afternoon of his fifty-second birthday, following a biopsy a few days earlier. LaMont was relieved he had an answer to the discomfort he had been experiencing in his groin and the worry it was causing him, as well as that the cancer was caught when it was. He was given two options—either proceed with surgery or pursue radiation treatment. LaMont chose the latter.

Connected to exceptional cancer care

He was connected with Jianan Graybill, MD, a Community MD Anderson physician specializing in radiation oncology. She guided him through an initial heavy dose of radiation, which lasted between three and four hours at Community MD Anderson Cancer Center - East Radiation Oncology. LaMont remembers being blown away by the care he was offered.

“The nurses were exceptional,” he said. “One called to follow-up to see how I was doing, and you could tell that she was genuinely compassionate about my situation.”

From there, LaMont received radiation treatment daily for five weeks at Community MD Anderson Cancer Center - North. Despite the change in location—and the added stress of starting a new job around the same time—LaMont continued to receive specialized care that made him feel more comfortable with the process.

You think you’re going to live forever

“Every day was someone being nice—it was just outstanding,” he said. At his six-month and one-year follow-ups post-treatment, LaMont’s test results showed significant progress. Finally, one and a half years post-treatment, LaMont was deemed cancer-free.

“It was an experience,” he said. “You just assume you’re going to live forever.” Above all, he was grateful to have the Community oncology team on his side.

“You just don’t feel like a patient,” he said. “You feel like something more.”