When Diane Szot saw blood in her urine in September 2019, she knew it was cause for concern.
“I made an appointment with a urologist who could not find the source of the bleeding, but recommended regular visits to monitor my condition,” she says. “Then, in March 2021, I was diagnosed with right upper track high grade urothelial carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. In my case, the cancer was in my ureter, the tiny tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder.”
Diane was referred to a urologic oncologist who recommended an immunotherapy treatment that targets cancer cells inside the kidney/ureter without having a negative impact on the rest of the body. Unfortunately, the drug was not available at the facility that inserted the nephrostomy tube, and there was no estimate on when it could be provided.
So, Diane reached out to a contact at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, who referred her to Keith Kowalczyk, MD, a urologic oncologist, and chair of the Department of Urology at the hospital. After her first appointment, she soon got her immunotherapy treatment back on track.
Finally, benefiting from the therapy she needed, her cancer went into remission, and, by November 2021, she was cancer-free.
Diane continued to see Dr. Kowalczyk regularly, given a recurrence rate of 50% for the type of cancer she had. In January 2024, she noticed blood in her urine again and, as before, imaging did not show any tumors. Then, unexpectedly, a mass was found in her right kidney. Surgery was the first course of treatment. “I was shocked and scared, but I was relieved that we finally had an answer and Dr. Kowalczyk could remove the kidney,” she says.
A month later, Dr. Kowalczyk removed her right kidney and ureter robotically—one of the few urologic surgeons in the region with the expertise to do so. This enabled him to perform a very precise surgery with no complications. Due to the grade and stage of her cancer, Diane’s treatment plan also included adjuvant chemotherapy, and she will continue to see Dr. Kowalczyk for monitoring for the next five years.
Reflecting on her experience, Diane is extremely grateful. “I was a puzzle. But Dr. Kowalczyk stuck with me throughout what was a long process and included me in the decision making,” she says. “I want to help other patients with the same diagnosis I had, which is why my husband and I decided to make a gift in support of his research. I don’t think we would have had the same experience at any other hospital. Everyone was so kind and understanding.”
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