Ron SpeidelBladder Cancer |  Diagnosed 2013

After finding blood in my urine in September 2013, I consulted my primary care physician who referred me to a local urologist. The urologist did a cystoscope exam and biopsy which revealed the tumor was invasive and malignant. He referred me to MD Anderson for further treatment.

I underwent chemotherapy treatment prior to surgery. When I found out the cancer had metastasized, Dr. Gao advised that chemotherapy would not be successful again.

With no further alternatives available to me, my wife, Brenda, and I waited for word of a possible trial to open. Within a few months Brenda and I were summoned back to Houston for the good news: a trial was about to begin but before enrolling, I had to qualify. After proceeding through the qualifying procedures, I gladly enrolled in the trial, and began receiving two immunotherapy drugs.

I decided to participate in the immunotherapy clinical trial because there was no other alternative for me. I figured if it worked, good for me, and if not, at least I would be helping with research. That research, I hoped, might help someone else fight this nasty disease.

Basically, the treatment consisted of three to four hours of intravenous treatment with nivolumab and ipilumumab. I received the combined immunotherapies for about four months, from April through August 2015.

Side effects included a slight feeling of an electrical charge throughout my body followed by a draining feeling of a much-needed nap. In my case, the only side effect was that my thyroid blew a year after completion of the trial.

Immunotherapy compared to chemotherapy was a piece of cake.

I was astounded by the kindness and support of other patients, my medical team, and the entire staff at MD Anderson.

They all truly cared about me and gave me hope. It was through their dedication to research that I had a fighting chance to survive and they supported me wholeheartedly. Every time I went in for a procedure or a visit with the doctor, the MD Anderson staff made me feel like I was the most important person to them. No one ever looked at a watch and hurried away. I was the focus.

When you are offered this opportunity, take advantage of it. I think it is beneficial to both yourself and to future patients to participate in clinical trials. With every passing day, new data is developed and new ideas are discovered which give hope to the ever-changing face of this disease and its treatment.