Raphael Pollock, MD, oncologist and director of Ohio State University's Comprehensive Cancer Center at James Cancer Hospital, Columbus, has been battling the same disease faced by his patients.
After experiencing worsening abdominal pain, Dr. Pollock was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2017. Dr. Pollock began taking acalabrutinib—which was still in clinical trials at OSU and has since been approved by the FDA.
Dr. Pollock's colleague—who also navigates his treatment—Jennifer Woyach, MD, told The Columbus Dispatch he is still taking the medication to this day.
Dr. Woyach added at any one time there may be 10 different clinical trials for chronic lymphocytic leukemia going on at the facility. The research developments make it seem like physicians may be able to "eventually cure this disease," she said.
"We have to keep trying...coping is hard," Dr. Pollock said. "I'm going to be involved in caring for patients over a long period of time and (having cancer myself) enables me in some ways to really transcend the patient/doctor relationship."