Vital for the right cancer crew.
"The doctors who treated me, they were like my crew. They helped me through some really bad times.”
Meet Mike
Mike's been a firefighter for 47 years and recently retired as fire chief of the Tallmadge Fire Department.
He's in good health now, but that wasn't always the case.
Historically, cancer is an issue with firefighters, as they can be exposed to hundreds of different chemicals. Some of these chemical substances are known or suspected to cause cancer.
Mike has had cancer three times. Eleven years ago, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and six years ago, it was thyroid cancer. And finally, through a routine follow-up, doctors found a third cancer, throat cancer, in his right tonsil.
Mike sees a lot of parallels between fire crews and his team of specialists at Summa Health.
"We're problem solvers. We're instant problem solvers. The doctors at Summa operate the same way.”
Summa Health surrounded Mike with care. He had his three doctors: Dr. Anand Desai, Dr. Gary Huang, and Dr. Sameer Mahesh. He also worked with radiologists, a nutritionist and a psychologist. It was a true team effort during his cancer journey.
"The doctors who treated me, they were like my crew. They helped me through some really bad times. They treated me with compassion. I would consider them friends in how they treated me."
Mike considers himself lucky to find the right cancer crew at Summa Health.
"If you get the right crew — just like in firefighting — you make your own luck. And the outcomes are good."
Learn more about Summa Health’s Cancer Care Services
"We're problem solvers. We're instant problem solvers. The doctors at Summa operate the same way.”
Summa Health surrounded Mike with care. He had his three doctors: Dr. Anand Desai, Dr. Gary Huang, and Dr. Sameer Mahesh. He also worked with radiologists, a nutritionist and a psychologist. It was a true team effort during his cancer journey.
"The doctors who treated me, they were like my crew. They helped me through some really bad times. They treated me with compassion. I would consider them friends in how they treated me."
Mike considers himself lucky to find the right cancer crew at Summa Health.
"If you get the right crew — just like in firefighting — you make your own luck. And the outcomes are good."
Learn more about Summa Health’s Cancer Care Services
