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Spinal Cancer: Journey of Acceptance

Rex Brannon was married in a quiet ceremony overlooking the Pacific Ocean just days after receiving a diagnosis of spinal cancer in the fall of 2005. A few months later, he and his wife, Dawn, invited their friends and family to a second celebration of their marriage aboard a paddleboat on Lake Tahoe. The timing of Rex's diagnosis was notable on several levels.

"About six months before my diagnosis, my wife and I had decided to switch health insurance plans so we could get our care from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation," he said.

Late in the summer of 2005, Rex had an unusual pain in his left leg, and an MRI showed something suspicious on his spine. A subsequent X-ray showed a spot on his right lung. Rex was referred to Dr. Joseph Welsh, a neurosurgeon at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation's (PAMF) Mountain View Center, who confirmed that Rex had two cancerous tumors on his spine.

"I have always been very healthy and never missed a day of work due to illness," Rex, who is now 55 years old, said. "When I met with Dr. Peter Yu, my medical oncologist at PAMF's Mountain View Center, he advised me to take three months off so I could focus on my health."

Rex did not have any surgeries, but instead followed Dr. Yu's treatment plan to shrink his spinal tumors. This included alternate rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, the latter of which Rex received at PAMF's Palo Alto Center under the care of radiation oncologist Gordon Ray.

"I knew from the start that I was in good hands," Rex said. "Dr. Yu is an amazing oncologist, and Dr. Ray is so determined. The radiation therapy staff and Dr. Ray worked through their lunch hours and called me on weekends, and they never, ever gave up on me. I have never before seen that level of commitment from any doctor."

Since finishing his last round of radiation in February 2008, Rex has had regular follow-up exams with Drs. Yu and Ray. In early 2009, a new spot showed up on his spine, and his PAMF oncologists are collaborating on how best to shrink the tumor.

"I still have some pain, but it's not debilitating," he said. "There are so many things to look forward to. Dawn and I have never been to Hawaii or Europe, and now, we plan to squeeze it all in. From now on, my life is not about how I want to die. It's about how I want to live."