ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Seven years ago, James Evans thought the end was near.
He was in his early 50s and had just been diagnosed with kidney cancer.
"They didn't even have to do a CT scan — they knew it was cancer,” Evans said. "I was scared, I was shocked. My mother died from lung cancer."
- A program Thursday at Lehigh Country Club coordinated by the Andy Derr Foundation was an information session on the latest kidney cancer treatment advancements
- The night reunited James Evans, who beat kidney cancer, and his doctor, Dr. Suresh Nair, physician in chief of the Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute
- The evening was coordinated by the Andy Derr Foundation, which aims to share research, education and advocacy with the Lehigh Valley kidney cancer community
Evans since 2016 has gone through various types of treatment at Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute — including high dose interleukin 2 (IL2) for metastatic renal cancer and about 50 spots between both lungs.
He also participated in a clinical trial and was then treated with the anti-cancer medication cabozantinib, on which he remains. And now he's in remission.
Now, years later he attributes his success to the staff at Lehigh Valley Health Network, especially his oncologist, Dr. Suresh Nair, is physician in chief of the Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute.
“He’s awesome,” said Evans, 59, who lives in Moscow, Lackawanna County.
'Keep upping our game'
Evans said he has made a full recovery; his only side effect is fatigue.
Evans and Nair reunited Thursday evening at an information session on the latest kidney cancer treatment advancements.
"We need to keep upping our game because when it comes to cancer, you can never do enough."Dr. Suresh Nair, physician in chief of the Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute
"We need to keep upping our game because when it comes to cancer, you can never do enough,” Nair said.
The program at Lehigh Country Club featured speaker Dr. Marc Ernstoff, who is the ImmunoOncology Branch Chief at the National Cancer Institute. His topic was: Optimism and Hope in The Modern Era of Immunotherapy: The Renal Cell Cancer Story.
The evening was coordinated by the Andy Derr Foundation, which aims to share research, education and advocacy with the Lehigh Valley kidney cancer community.
Derr was treated by Nair, but ultimately lost his battle with cancer in 2016.
Nair spoke of Derr and his family fondly and said the event was largely made possible by the foundation.
"What's really great about the Lehigh Valley's patients, the doctors, the nurses, we have a lot of community leaders that have been impacted by these patients and we're all kind of working together to help these patients," said the physician.
Thursday was the first time this event was held in-person since the coronavirus pandemic.
