Richard Lockette

Richard Lockette had already fought cancer once. He never wanted to fight it again.

Fifteen years after he beat colon cancer, Richard started experiencing intense stomach pain. A trip to the emergency room in St. Louis, Mo. led to a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Despite initially being given a prognosis of 4-6 weeks, he is now among the 1 percent of patients who survive stage IV pancreatic cancer.

Immediately, the doctors began asking if he wanted to have surgery there, or back home in Kentucky. So shocked with the diagnosis, Richard couldn’t even answer.

Richard called his wife, who dropped everything to pick him up and bring him back home to Vine Grove, Ky., near Fort Knox, where together, they researched to figure out the next steps. Ultimately, Richard decided he wanted to be treated at UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center.

Upon arriving at the Brown Cancer Center, Richard’s oncologist did not have great news. Richard had stage 4 pancreatic cancer and was not a candidate for chemotherapy or radiation. Richard’s only hope was reliant on some results from the genetic testing he had been through the previous year.

Nurse practitioner Meredith Haedtler had worked with Richard regarding genetic counseling and had told him that he had a positive Lynch syndrome gene, which is the most common cause of hereditary colon cancer. Richard was advised to increase the frequency of his colonoscopies because of this gene.

What they didn’t know at the time, though, was that this genetic testing would save Richard’s life from a different kind of cancer. Richard had no idea when he walked into the oncologist’s office that day that UofL Health was actively seeking patients with pancreatic cancer and the Lynch syndrome gene for a clinical trial.

Before he knew it, Richard had an appointment scheduled to have a port placed for immunotherapy. Prior to that day, Richard had never even heard of immunotherapy. With no side effects, Richard visited the Brown Cancer Center once every three weeks to treat the cancer that had spread all over his body.

First, the cancer stopped spreading. Six weeks later, the spots were disappearing. Within nine months, all of the physical signs of the cancer were gone. Richard is cancer free.

Vivek Sharma, M.D., medical oncologist, has taken care of him ever since. 

“My scans have been clean for two and a half years,” Richard celebrated. “Now I am enjoying life, probably to the fullest.”

Richard has no idea how much time he has left to live, but because of the clinical trials offered at UofL Health, he is able to live his life the way he wants.

“Who knew that immunotherapy would take on this momentous fight? Cancer had been the baddest guy on the block. UofL Health took on this huge bully,” Richard said. “I’ve been trying to tell everybody that I know not only to get to UofL Health and the Brown Cancer Center, but that if you’re having bouts with cancer, look up immunotherapy, because it is working.”

Richard is also thankful for the warmth and kindness he experiences at the Brown Cancer Center. Everyone from the parking attendants to the oncologists offer Richard reminders that he is in good hands, walking alongside great people.

“I am very proud and honored to have been a part of the Brown Cancer Center’s care,” Richard said.

Richard has also found the M. Krista Loyd Resource Center to be extremely helpful throughout his journey. Richard has learned to play the guitar through music therapy, received acupuncture, and participated in Capturing the Moment, a free photography event put on to capture the journey of cancer and capture the patients’ strength as they face that journey.

This year, he participated in Capturing the Moment again – only this time as one of the volunteer photographers. Photography has always been one of his passions.

“Everything they did lifted my spirits up and made my life so wonderful,” Richard shared.

Through it all, Richard aims to remind people that there is a process for this, even though it can be scary.  All he had to do was go to the Brown Cancer Center for help, and they took care of the rest.

“I don’t care how dark it is,” Richard said. “Dark is before dawn anyway.”

Facing cancer twice was not easy, and Richard would not wish that upon anyone else. However, he recognizes the progress being made by the Brown Cancer Center, and he is thankful for their dedication to cancer research.

“I’m not fighting cancer now. I’m surviving cancer. I’m not fighting because UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center fought for me.”