Patient, Caregiver and Staff Stories

Mike Levine

Even with a diagnosis of stage IV pancreatic cancer and ongoing chemotherapy, Mike Levine trained for the grueling Ironman World Championship. He had begun end-of-life planning before a second opinion at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health gave him one more chance to compete in the sport he loves.

Armondo Lopez

Despite several negative biopsies for prostate cancer, Armondo Lopez’s PSA blood levels kept rising. His doctor, J. Kellogg Parsons, suggested an MRI-guided biopsy. The new technology helped locate an aggressive prostate cancer while it was still completely curable.

Susan Rooney

After surgery and chemotherapy proved ineffective for her brain tumor, Susan Rooney joined a clinical trial testing a new drug – one of several leading edge therapies offered at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. Read her story.

Kay Mueller

Kay Mueller had a routine breast exam, Pap smear, and colonoscopy when she turned 50, never expecting that anything could be wrong—let alone a diagnosis of Stage 3 rectal cancer. Follow Kay through her treatment and surgery with Dr. Sonia Ramamoorthy.