Chris Sutton

With one phone call, Chris Sutton’s whole life changed.

“Mr. Sutton, are you sitting down? You have cancer.”

Chris, concerned about a lump in his left cheek, had visited his dermatologist in Western Kentucky. Originally, Chris, who is from Eddyville, Ky., was told that this lump was just a cyst, but he felt it was something more, so he requested that it be removed.

The lump ended up being a rare form of malignant melanoma, something his doctors in rural Kentucky had never seen. Surgery was performed in an attempt to remove the cancer.

In the meantime, Chris and his family spent their days researching. With an outlook that wasn’t very promising, Chris wanted a second opinion.

When Chris researched the UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center, he found one of the top melanoma research and treatment locations in the world. Then, Chris found Jason Chesney, M.D., Ph.D., director and chief administrative officer of the Brown Cancer Center.

The referral to Dr. Chesney went in on Wednesday, and on Friday morning, Chris was sitting in his office. Although Dr. Chesney agreed the type of cancer Chris had was rare, he had seen it before and felt hopeful.

Chris and his wife left their appointment with tears of joy, because for the first time since his diagnosis, there was hope.

Under Dr. Chesney’s guidance, Chris had a second surgery to remove the cancer, which had also spread to a lymph node.

 “Since then, we have had a lot of hope. Due to Dr. Chesney’s care and his team, my future is bright.”

After surgery, Chris started immunotherapy and traveled the three-hour drive to Louisville every three weeks for treatment. Now, his scans show no signs of cancer.

“So far, no sign of cancer. I credit the team at Brown Cancer Center for my good diagnosis and a good prognosis. Second opinions save lives. If I had not gotten a second opinion from Brown Cancer Center, my story would not be a happy one.”

Chris remains impressed by the subspecialty care that is offered at the Brown Cancer Center. Specialty care isn’t seen very often in rural Kentucky, and this lack of access could have cost Chris his life.

As Brown Cancer Center works to form partnerships with rural hospitals to offer more specialty research and treatment options, Chris is participating in research in his own way.

When asked if he would like to participate in research, Chris did not hesitate. Every now and then, Chris has some blood drawn and feels proud to be able to support the research that is being done every day to save lives.

Chris advises everyone to go to the doctor, get their screenings, and if something doesn’t feel right, do something about it. Then, if you don’t like what you are hearing, ask for a second opinion.

Cancer, Chris reflects, does not have to be a death sentence. There are options, and he is thankful to be able to make it to Louisville to visit the Brown Cancer Center, where he knows his life and time are valuable.

“They don’t mind saying that we are going to beat cancer. They set goals. They want to reduce the death rate in Kentucky. To be associated with a group that is forward thinking like that is really a blessing.”

As for Chris and his family, they are enjoying life more than ever. Chris finished his immunotherapy treatments at the end of August, rang the bell with Dr. Chesney and his wife, Denise, by his side. He said he could not be more excited to be living life. After all, every day is a gift.

How can we help you?

Connecting with our team of specialists at UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center is the first step in getting treatment.