[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/08\/kirk-altoona-patient-story\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/08\/kirk-altoona-patient-story\/","headline":"A Lifesaver: Exceptional Cancer Care in Altoona","name":"A Lifesaver: Exceptional Cancer Care in Altoona","description":"Claysburg resident Kirk Roudabush figures he owes his life to a rogue honeybee and the expert cancer care he received at UPMC Altoona. Learn more about his cancer story. ","datePublished":"2018-08-27","dateModified":"2020-01-30","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/bees.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/bees.jpg","height":327,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/08\/kirk-altoona-patient-story\/","about":["Cancer Care","Health Topics A-Z"],"wordCount":581,"articleBody":"Claysburg resident Kirk Roudabush figures he owes his life to a rogue honeybee and the expert cancer care he received at UPMC Altoona.In fall 2016, the mason contractor and beekeeping enthusiast was checking on his honeybees when he was inexplicably stung on the mouth. The swelling eased after a few days, but a painless lump soon appeared on his neck.Kirk Roudabush received his care at UPMC Altoona.\u201cI ignored it, thinking it was from the bee sting,\u201d says Kirk, 63. At the insistence of his daughter, Danyell Knott, a radiation therapist at UPMC Altoona, he finally agreed to see a doctor. A biopsy confirmed an infection from the bee sting. But it also revealed Kirk had cancer of his left tonsil with the tumor also involving lymph nodes in his neck.The Coordinated Care at UPMC AltoonaAt UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at UPMC Altoona, a team of specialists developed a comprehensive treatment plan for Kirk\u2019s care. In early December, he had surgery to remove his tonsil. Two weeks later, he began seven weeks of radiation and chemotherapy treatments under the care of Jack Schocker, MD, a radiation oncologist, and Hasan Bit-Shawish, MD, a medical oncologist.\u201cWe work together seamlessly to provide sophisticated and comprehensive treatment,\u201d says Dr. Schocker. \u201cProviding chemotherapy and radiation at the same time is effective in head and neck cancers because the chemotherapy drugs help the radiation work better.\u201dOne of Many Reasons to Choose UPMC AltoonaThe UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at UPMC Altoona connects local patients to one of the country\u2019s largest integrated cancer care networks and offers a full range of services for cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment.Explore more reasons to choose UPMC Altoona at UPMCAltoona.org\/Reasons.Kirk underwent all of his treatment as an outpatient. Monday through Friday he went to UPMC Altoona for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).\u201cIt\u2019s an extremely precise method of delivering radiation,\u201d says Dr. Schocker. \u201cIt allows us to use higher, more effective doses while sparing healthy tissue and reducing side effects.\u201dAnd once a week, Kirk went from radiation to the medical oncology suite for several hours of chemotherapy. \u201cI\u2019m so glad all of my appointments and treatments were right in Altoona. Driving to Pittsburgh would have been a big problem for me,\u201d he says.RELATED: A Second Chance at Life: Laura Dirling’s StoryA Grateful PatientKirk\u2019s treatments ended in March 2017, and the feeding tube that sustained him throughout his therapy was removed in July. Today, he has no evidence of cancer.\u201cThat bee sting saved my life. Cancer was heading to my heart and lungs, and I never would have known had it not happened,\u201d says Kirk. \u201cI\u2019m so thankful to be alive, and I\u2019m grateful for the care I received at UPMC Altoona. I had the best doctors I could ask for.\u201dWhy Choose UPMC Altoona for Your Cancer Care?UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at UPMC Altoona offers the most up-to-date services available to prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat all types of cancer, including:The latest chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatmentsPowerful evaluation and treatment planning tools, including3D and PET-CT imaging to carefully map out targeted areasAn arsenal of advanced radiation technology used to deliver precise therapies that attack cancer and limit damage to healthy tissueAccess to the same \u201cbest in class\u201d treatment protocols found throughout the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center networkThe opportunity to participate in groundbreaking clinical trials "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2018","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"08","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/\/08\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"A Lifesaver: Exceptional Cancer Care in Altoona","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/08\/kirk-altoona-patient-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]