Together Every Step of the Way

While there’s no good time for a melanoma diagnosis, when Joel Boehm received his diagnosis earlier this summer, the timing could not possibly have been worse. The alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin School of Law is set to marry his fiancée, Katelyn Marak, this November.

At first, the couple was worried about the emotional toll of Joel’s illness, particularly at this critical time in their relationship.

“We heard from a lot of folks that it’s often harder on the partner and family members of somebody dealing with diagnoses like these than it is on the patient themself,” says Joel. “It’s a step removed from the physical fallout, but the emotional and psychological impact can be even greater on the folks who are in the inner circle of the patient.”

In addition to treating Joel’s melanoma, UT Health Austin clinicians kept Katelyn involved at every stage of his health journey, allowing the couple to face the challenge together.

Clarity and Reassurance

Joel first noticed that a mole on his body had become inflamed shortly before Memorial Day weekend. When a visit to the dermatologist confirmed the presence of a melanoma, he was referred to Alex B. Haynes, MD, a surgical oncologist in UT Health Austin’s Surgical Oncology Clinic.

At this first appointment, Dr. Haynes initiated a plan to surgically remove Joel’s melanoma. The team then obtained a PET scan of his body and an MRI of his brain to determine whether the cancer had spread.

Joel describes this first experience with Dr. Haynes as “very reassuring, very positive,” praising the clarity with which the team communicated the next steps in his treatment as well as the likely outcomes.

Whole-Person Cancer Treatment

After the initial diagnosis and treatment, Joel and his fiancée shared apprehension about his treatment journey. The couple met with Emily McLeod, MSN, an advanced practice nurse who specializes in palliative care, to address these concerns.

“Palliative care is focused providing relief from symptoms, and from the stress of an illness,” she explains. “The goal is to improve quality of life for the patient and the family. A big part of my role is managing physical symptoms, but I also address emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual needs and concerns.”

McLeod welcomes those who wish to be involved in their loved one’s cancer journey. “Those types of care partners can provide perspective about how things are going outside of clinic visits, which can have a positive impact on overall care and our ability to address needs and issues as they arise.”

A “Straightforward” Surgical Experience

In late June, Dr. Haynes performed what he calls the “definitive treatment” of melanoma. Known as a wide excision, the surgery involved, “removing a safety margin around the area of Joel’s melanoma.”

The excision was carried out in UT Health Austin’s Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC), a facility devoted to same-day outpatient surgical care.

Joel speaks highly of his experiences at the ASC. “I was given very clear instructions about where to be and when to be there, what the cost would be based on my insurance, and all the rest. It was all very straightforward.”

“I think my fiancée also walked away super-impressed with how they handled everything,” Joel adds.

Moving Forward

Along with the wide excision, Dr. Haynes performed a sentinel lymph node biopsy at the ASC to evaluate the extent to which Joel’s cancer had spread. Lymph nodes are small bean-shaped structures located throughout the body. Part of the immune system, lymph nodes help the body fight infection and disease. Because they are natural filters, testing a piece of a lymph node can detect any cancer cells they capture.

There was no sign of melanoma at the original disease site, or in most of the lymph nodes sampled; but two lymph nodes showed very small amounts of disease spread.

Joel travelled to MD Anderson Cancer Center in early August for consideration of adjuvant treatment to reduce the risk of his melanoma recurring. “The doctors at MD Anderson reconfirmed what the initial prognosis had been from the folks here in Austin,” he says. “We feel like my health is in a good place.”

Meeting Every Patient’s Needs

According to Dr. Haynes, Joel’s case is not unusual from a clinical perspective, but it illustrates how UT Health Austin is positioned to address a current gap in cancer treatment for young adults. He notes that most services are tailored towards either the needs of people over sixty, who are more likely to develop cancer, or the pediatric population.

McLeod notes that a cancer diagnosis can be acutely painful for the young adult population as they must rely on others at a time when they would hope to be making important strides in establishing their own family and career.

“Our clinic is particularly attuned to the critical needs of young people with cancer,” Dr. Haynes says. “People who are starting their families, who are thinking about reproductive health, thinking ‘How do I plan for my future?’”

For these patients, “the kind of support that our care model provides is really important beyond simply giving the right surgery, giving the right treatment, doing the right tests,” says Dr. Haynes.

Joel says that this model is the perfect fit for him and his fiancée. “We think about health holistically instead of strictly in terms of lab results and things like that,” he explains. “Being attuned to that, we wanted to be proactive in working with providers that are trained in providing counseling and coping mechanisms.”

The care team employs a dietitian, a social worker, and more to provide patients a whole-person treatment experience.

For more information about UT Health Austin’s Surgical Oncology Clinic or to request an appointment, please visit here.