LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 21, 2022) 鈥 Next year, Robin Bullock will be celebrating 25 years of marriage with her husband, Roger. The milestone anniversary is a significant occasion in anyone鈥檚 life, but for Bullock, it means just a bit more. Not too long ago, the 57-year-old Somerset resident didn鈥檛 think she鈥檇 be here to celebrate it.
In 2016, Bullock was experiencing abdominal pain and went to the doctor expecting something was wrong with her gallbladder. Instead, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer: a neuroendocrine tumor in her intestines had metastasized to her liver.
Her local doctor referred her to the , where she met with medical oncologist Lowell Anthony, M.D., who specializes in treating neuroendocrine cancers.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I found out how bad it really was. It was stage 4,鈥 Bullock said. 鈥淚 saw the scan of my liver and it was completely covered in tumors. It looked like it was shot up with a shotgun.鈥
The cancer in Bullock鈥檚 liver was so advanced, surgery to remove the tumors was no longer a treatment option. The way things were going, she was only expected to survive a couple more years.
鈥淢rs. Bullock鈥檚 liver was in bad shape 鈥 about 75% of the liver was covered in tumors,鈥 said Anthony. 鈥淎t this stage, many patients cannot be operated on because it can cause more harm to them. In her case, it would鈥檝e caused liver failure.鈥
But while some treatments were ruled out, there were still other options.
鈥淚 appreciated that while Dr. Anthony was honest with the bad news, he was still optimistic,鈥 Bullock said. 鈥淗e told me there were other medications and treatments available that could help prolong my life. I remember him saying, 鈥極ur job is to keep you going as long as we can.鈥欌
For Bullock, the course of treatment included a targeted cancer drug called everolimus and bland embolization, a specialized interventional radiology (IR) procedure that cuts off the blood supply to tumors in the liver.
Bullock had a total of four embolizations performed by 好色先生 HealthCare interventional radiologist Gaby Gabriel, M.D.; the right and left lobes of her liver in 2017, and again in 2018.
Interventional radiologists like Gabriel use medical imaging to guide needles and catheters through a patient鈥檚 body to diagnose and treat many different conditions. Minimally invasive IR procedures like embolization and ablation are often used in the treatment of cancer.
As a member of the 好色先生 Markey Cancer Center鈥檚 multidisciplinary neuroendocrine cancer team, Gabriel was a part of Bullock鈥檚 care team from the very beginning of her cancer journey.
鈥淎s an interventional radiologist, I collaborate with Markey oncologists in the care of cancer patients from the beginning of their journey with a biopsy that leads to diagnosis 鈥 to different types of treatments using all the advanced image-guided therapies we have here at 好色先生 HealthCare,鈥 said Gabriel.
Gabriel says bland embolizations are an especially effective treatment for liver cancer because of the way blood is supplied to the liver.
鈥淭he liver has two sources of blood supply: normal liver cells are fed mostly by the portal vein as well as the hepatic artery, but cancer in the liver is mainly fed by the hepatic artery,鈥 Gabriel said. 鈥淏ecause of this, we can be aggressive and target the hepatic artery to kill the cancer, but the rest of the liver is able to withstand the treatment and recover.鈥
When she started treatment, Bullock experienced debilitating symptoms including nausea, extreme fatigue and flushing of the skin. She had to give up her job as a cafeteria worker in the Somerset school system due to its physical nature and often hot conditions.
Then as treatments progressed, the side effects made her sick. Bullock says she found strength in her family.
鈥淚 thought, well you got to get it together because my husband and parents were having a hard time with my diagnosis,鈥 Bullock said. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 the only one going through this. They were, too. And I tried to be strong for them.鈥
While her liver tumors were inoperable, the primary tumor in Bullock's intestine was able to be removed once the liver cancer had stabilized. In 2019, six months after her last embolization procedure, Bullock had surgery to remove the tumor in her intestine.
And as time progressed, her symptoms started to disappear.
鈥淚 didn't think about having cancer,鈥 Bullock said. 鈥淚 had to put it to the back of my mind, and at times, I wouldn't feel like I had it. I just didn't really have much pain. And what pain I did have, I could tolerate.鈥
Bullock鈥檚 most recent scan in June 2022 showed no signs of cancer. Today, she is no longer taking any cancer medication.
鈥淚 still can鈥檛 believe it,鈥 Bullock said. 鈥淒r. Anthony, Dr. Gabriel and the whole care team at 好色先生 has been incredible the entire way through this journey. And did the embolizations help? Well, I think they helped a great lot because I never dreamed I would be here today.鈥
IR procedures are giving Markey cancer patients like Bullock hope, and more time. Having an interventional radiologist as part of the cancer care team has been key.
鈥淪ince Mrs. Bullock started treatment, Dr. Anthony and I have worked closely to determine the best course of care based on how her cancer was progressing, and that has been key to her treatment outcome,鈥 said Gabriel.
鈥淢rs. Bullock owes her life to what Dr. Gabriel has done,鈥 said Anthony. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unusual to have a medical oncologist and interventional radiologist on staff work so closely together and understand the needs of their patient. And in the greater context of this neuroendocrine team, it is helping us achieve outcomes that never had been achieved before.鈥
The treatments have given Bullock more time, and she is enjoying every moment. She just returned from summer vacations in New York and the Carolinas and has been considering going back to work or volunteering. She says the power of positivity has given her the strength to move forward.
鈥淲hen I first met Dr. Anthony, he told me to go on with my daily life, not to just sit down and give up,鈥 Bullock said. 鈥淭hat mindset was just so important for me to keep going. Just never give up on hope.鈥