Prostate Cancer Awareness: the impact of early detection and expert care
Follow Larry's inspiring cancer journey and his dedication to supporting Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund in advancing cancer research and care.
For Larry, what started as a routine doctor’s appointment suddenly became a cancer diagnosis at 60 years old. After a blood test showed high prostate-specific antigen levels, Larry was rushed to a urologist for over a dozen biopsies, all of which came back positive for prostate cancer. Larry had shown no prior symptoms or signs—he and his wife Missy were in disbelief. He was immediately referred to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he’s been receiving care for the last 12 years.
“Missy and I were a wreck,” Larry recalls. “Once we got to Dana-Faber, we felt like we could finally take a breath. We knew it was the best place to be.”
As a lifelong pediatric nurse, Missy remembers feeling scared but also hopeful, knowing that her husband was being treated at Dana-Farber.
“I remember his care team telling us that we had options,” Missy shares. “His cancer was growing slowly, and we had time to figure out what the best course of action would be. It was such a relief to hear this reassurance from his doctors during such an uncertain time.”
Larry was a candidate for a clinical trial that helped him achieve remission in 2012. He has relapsed twice since then, but he has been in remission since 2018 and attends annual routine appointments at Dana-Farber. While his cancer journey has been ongoing for 12 years now, Larry is grateful to this day for the expert and compassionate care he’s received from his care team, including Tracy Balboni, MD, MPH, FAAHPM; Neil Martin, MD, MPH; and Mark Pomerantz, MD.
“The first day I saw Dr. Pomerantz, I remember he said, ‘Larry, you’re a very lucky man,’” he recalls. “I personally wasn’t feeling too lucky, but he reminded me if I hadn’t seen my physician, things would look very different for me, and he was right. While no one wants to face a cancer diagnosis, I felt very lucky that mine was caught very early, and that I have the best care team at Dana-Farber to help me navigate through it.”
Before he even became a patient at Dana-Farber, Larry volunteered at events for the Jimmy Fund to support cancer care and research. He remains a passionate supporter and was even one of this year’s patient partners for the A Chance for Kids & Families® campaign!
“I’ve always felt connected to the Jimmy Fund and wanted to play a role in the incredible work they do to help defeat cancer,” Larry says. “Having been on the other side as a patient, it’s really incredible to see the advancements in research and treatment that’s made possible by their community of donors.”
During Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, you can support patients like Larry by joining The Dana-Farber Campaign, our ambitious, multi-year fundraising effort to prevent, treat, and defy cancer. The Dana-Farber Campaign will accelerate the Institute’s strategic priorities by supporting revolutionary science, extraordinary care, and exceptional expertise. As a community, we have the power to create a more hopeful, cancer-free future—in Boston and around the world. Together, we can defy cancer at every turn. Learn more about The Dana-Farber Campaign and how you can get involved at DefyCancer.org.
