After James Boswell underwent high-risk cancer screening at Regional One Health Cancer Care, he opted for a surgery that can help prevent a future cancer diagnosis.
James was nervous, but the expert care and compassion he received from surgical oncologist Dr. Evan Glazer and his team helped put him at ease.
Now, he’s back home and looking forward to enjoying retirement with his wife of 42 years and spending time with his grandkids.
At 61, James Boswell has a lot of living to do.
After life on the road as a truck driver, he wants to enjoy retirement with his wife of 42 years. He wants to celebrate his sons as they serve in the U.S. military. And he wants to spoil his three grandkids and hopefully welcome a whole bunch more.
With the help of Regional One Health Cancer Care surgical oncologist and University of Tennessee Health Science Center associate professor of surgery Evan Glazer, MD, PhD, FACS, FSSO, James can embrace everything life has to offer.
James was diagnosed with a rare pre-cancerous condition after undergoing screening at Dr. Glazer’s high-risk pancreatic cancer clinic. Due to a strong family history – his sister has stage 4 pancreatic cancer – he opted for cancer-preventing surgery.
“Seeing my baby sister and what she’s been through, I didn’t want to take any chances,” James said. “We caught it early. I’m lucky on that aspect, and I’m lucky I found Dr. Glazer.”
Early detection is why Regional One Health developed high-risk clinics for pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma, and gynecologic cancer. Screening can help patients manage their risk through preventative treatment like medication or surgery.
“All patients with pancreatic cancer are evaluated for genetic risk, and their family members generally meet criteria for screening before there are any signs of cancer,” Dr. Glazer said. “That means we can look for cancer in someone who is feeling completely normal.”
That was the case for James.
Surgical oncologist Dr. Evan Glazer performed a surgery that can prevent cancer. “When there is an opportunity to prevent cancer or minimize the risk of cancer, that’s what our high-risk program is all about,” Dr. Glazer said.
He felt fine, but bloodwork at his annual physical showed elevated liver enzymes. That led to an endoscopy and specialized MRI of his liver and pancreas.
“We look at the bile ducts and pancreas for signs of masses or growths or tumors,” Dr. Glazer said. “Anything abnormal is biopsied to see if it’s normal, pre-cancerous, or cancer.”
By the time the testing was done, James was understandably nervous. “I was very stressed and concerned, but Dr. Glazer came in and pulled up a chair right across from me, sat down, put his hands on my knees and said, ‘Tell me what’s going on.’”
During their appointment, Dr. Glazer continued to put James and his wife Nancy at ease.
Quickly, they realized they had a prior connection: four years earlier, Dr. Glazer had performed lifesaving surgery on James’ sister for a previous cancer diagnosis. Later in the appointment, James asked to bring in his oldest son via FaceTime: “Dr. Glazer said, ‘Absolutely. We’ll stop until we get him,’” James recalls. “He didn’t say another word until my son was on the phone.”
“Not many doctors are that considerate. We clicked right from the start.”
Dr. Glazer also explained James’ condition in straightforward terms. He said the inflammation associated with choledochoceles increases cancer risk, but, “We caught it at a pre-cancer or pre-pre-cancer stage, and that’s exactly where we want to catch it.”
That allowed them to discuss options and talk through all the pros and cons of surgery.
“There are risks associated with surgery and risks associated with not having surgery. In his case, there was the risk of this becoming cancer and losing the opportunity to cure it,” Dr. Glazer explained. “That’s where the personalization of screening programs comes into play – the art of medicine is to put together the right treatment for the patient at that time. For James, that was having a bile duct resection to remove the part that was dilated.”
After a whirlwind week, James was on his way to Memphis from his home near Shiloh for his procedure. It was the morning of Halloween.
James is grateful for Dr. Glazer’s expertise and compassion. “He was the man I wanted fixing me, and I think the world of him,” James said. “He’s been a godsend to us.”
Whether it was the date or the situation or both, James was apprehensive. “Halloween felt like a bad omen. I was scared about being put to sleep for so long. I didn’t know what the hospital would be like,” he said. “That morning when I hugged my family, I was thinking, ‘I just want to wake up. I’m not ready to go.’”
Knowing he was in the hands of one of the nation’s leading experts gave him comfort.
Dr. Glazer is an expert in liver, pancreatic, and hepatobiliary cancers. As an academic surgical oncologist with University of Tennessee Health Science Center and participant in national panels that establish treatment guidelines, he has the advanced experience to offer cutting-edge treatments.
“I knew about him from my sister, and we researched him,” James said. “Hands down, there was nobody else I wanted to touch me. I knew he would save my life, and that was what mattered.”
Their other worries evaporated once they got to Regional One Health Cancer Care’s state-of-the-art surgery center. “We were blown away,” James said. “We couldn’t believe how good everyone was to us. Everyone was wonderful.”
Dr. Glazer said it is representative of Regional One Health’s growing leadership in cancer care. “There are only a few places in our region that do complex bile duct resection,” he said. “It takes a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, gastroenterologists, ICU doctors, nurses, and nutritionists, and you want to be in an environment that can care for any complications.”
“It’s in our name – Regional One Health. We are a hospital system for the whole region. We’ve always done that for things like trauma and high-risk obstetrics, and now we’re expanding that to cancer care. We have the expertise, resources, and experience to provide advanced care.”
James’ operation was a success, and he is healing well. “I’m walking every day. I lost weight. I’m doing everything Dr. Glazer asked,” he said. “When something like this happens, it changes your outlook. Living on the road, I didn’t take care of myself – it’s a hard lifestyle. This made me realize I’ve got to take care of myself along with my family.”
Now, he looks forward to focusing on his health and the close family bonds he has built.
For James, screening including MRI and endoscopy. Regional One Health Cancer Care offers high-risk clinics for pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma, and gynecologic cancer.
“I’m fortunate I have a fantastic family and support system. My wife and I still have a great relationship after 42 years, and I have a great relationship with my sons,” he said. “Something like this makes you start thinking about things a little, and I appreciate everything more now.”
That includes Dr. Glazer. “He was the man I wanted fixing me, and I think the world of him,” James said. “He’s been a godsend to us.”
Dr. Glazer said it’s rewarding when his job can involve not just treating cancer, but preventing it. He urges all families to talk about their cancer history to see if they qualify for screening.
“James got to choose how he went through his care. He got to make decisions about when and how,” he said. “That’s because he knew his family history and took advantage of the screening we have available at Regional One Health. When there is an opportunity to prevent cancer or minimize the risk of cancer, that’s what our high-risk program is all about.”