Kathy’s story

Kathy was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. Married with three children, she has always been active and taken good care of her health. However, after a routine doctor’s visit, her provider discovered a possible blood clot on her ureter. It turned out to be a tumor, which was diagnosed as urothelial cancer.

The historic treat for this type of cancer is removal of a kidney and the tube leading from it. Obviously with that comes major lifetime consequences, first and foremost is the concern about the other kidney getting cancer and then ending up with no kidneys at all.

Kathy decided on surgery to hopefully stave off the cancer. For years her physician, Dr. Stephen Bennett, continued to monitor her cancer. Recurrences were frequent but Kathy was steadfast in her decision not to have her kidney removed. Fortunately waiting paid off because it allowed time for a new treatment to evolve, one that Kathy would eventually get.

Jelmyto is the first and only FDA-approved treatment for low-grade upper tract urothelial cancer (LG-UTUC) in adult patients. JELMYTO is a combination of chemotherapy (mitomycin) and an innovative gel technology that is a liquid when chilled and turns into a gel at body temperature. Unlike typical chemotherapy that goes everywhere in your body, your doctor will give you JELMYTO in the affected kidney region where your tumors are. Once there, JELMYTO stays in place for up to 4 to 6 hours to kill cancer cells.

58% of patients treated with JELMYTO had their tumors disappear following their initial course of treatment. Of the patients who responded, the majority were still tumor-free at their 12-month follow-up.

WATCH VIDEO ABOUT HOW JELMYTO WORKS:

https://www.jelmyto.com/hcp/about/technology/

Today, Kathy is enjoying the life she had always planned…family time with her children, grandchildren, and her husband. While her decision to wait on treatment was not without fear or potential consequences, Kathy says she’s glad she did.

Through its Research and Clinical Trials programs, The Urology Group is constantly looking for new and better treatments for a variety of conditions, including cancer. LEARN MORE.