It was earlier this year, in January, that I was contacted by a research group from Cleveland, OH. They were looking for patients whom were willing to donate their pathology for the purpose of research.  Signet Ring Cell is an extremely rare form of cancer and there is a large lack of knowledge and resources.  For those reasons, this particular group was doing everything in their power to conduct a study to learn more about it.  I spoke with the Study Coordinator and gathered all the information, but since it was not a priority at the time, we never followed up with the medical releases they requested.  At that particular time my focus was solely attending every appointment with James and being there for him to get him through the chemo treatment.

Fast forward 6 months, and I now find myself making every effort to connect with others from our support group with this type of cancer.  Even with a second opinion from a Stanford physician, at least four people told me to “run, not walk” and to be sure to connect with Dr. Sanford Markowitz, as he is the most educated and best qualified to give a third opinion.  After conducting a short search for this physician, I came across his information and all his accomplishments.  I was so filled with joy and hope after reading about his involvement with SRC.  After speaking with someone on his team, I was asked to provide a timeline of events and send the information back to their office via email.  When I was finally ready to send over the information, I realized that the contact’s email address was already in my address book.  To my surprise, this was coincidentally the same doctor that I connected with earlier this year regarding the study.

It’s crazy how things sometimes come full circle and it’s made me realize the importance of taking the time to help others and educate people on diseases and create awareness for early detection.  I am extremely pleased to announce that James is now a part of this study.  We didn’t waste any more time in providing all the necessary releases and that they needed to obtain his medical information. Once they have everything that they need and it has been reviewed and analyzed, we will connect with Dr. Markowitz regarding a possible third opinion.  I understand that this study may not benefit James, but if it can help others who have not yet been diagnosed then we have done our part.  It’s important to count your blessings and give back in any form that you can.  Your story matters and it can play an integral role in making a difference in someone else’s life. 

Who is Dr. Sanford Markowitz?

Internationally recognized for his work identifying key genetics causes of colon cancer and developing molecular tests for early detection of this disease.

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