A Collaborative Approach to an Uncommon Cancer

Your Stories: Conquering Cancer

Imagine receiving a cancer diagnosis, only to immediately learn that not only has it spread to other parts of your body, but it’s also incredibly rare for it do so—so rare, in fact, that little to no research exists to inform your treatment. Katie Coleman doesn’t need to imagine this: She’s lived it. In December 2020, at just 29 years old, Katie was diagnosed with metastatic oncocytoma, a type of kidney cancer so rare that fewer than 10 cases have been recorded in history. Consequently, it’s also remained largely understudied, underfunded, and overlooked in cancer research. Luckily, Katie found Dr. Pavlos Msaouel, an oncologist and a three-time Conquer Cancer grant and award recipient with an incredibly niche research focus: targeting rare kidney tumors.

Despite a lack of research about Katie’s specific type of tumor, Dr. Msaouel’s experience with targeting rare kidney tumors—informed by his Conquer Cancer-funded research—enabled her care team to hone in on an approach that ultimately left her with no evidence of disease.

Now a cancer survivor and patient advocate, Katie has made it her mission to share her story and help others learn to more effectively navigate cancer care. In this episode of Your Stories, Katie speaks with podcast host and fellow survivor Brenda Brody about what she found most helpful during her cancer experience and the empowering impact of shared decision-making between providers and patients.