10 May Wisconsin man celebrates 5 years cancer-free after immunotherapy treatment

By Kathryn Larson, Spectrum News 1

MADISON, Wis. — Bart Bortz, of Sun Prairie, Wis., defied the odds in his battle against cancer, thanks to groundbreaking research and treatment at UW Health’s Carbone Cancer Center.

Bortz’s ordeal began in 2018 when he experienced troubling symptoms at home. Night sweats plagued him, prompting a visit to the doctor.

Tests revealed inflammation, leading to the discovery of a stage four tumor the size of a softball on his kidney, with metastases to other vital organs.

Bortz underwent surgery to remove the tumor, followed by a lengthy hospital stay.

He said his medical team offered him hope in the form of a phase two clinical trial, utilizing targeted immunotherapy drugs.

“I tell my patients that immunotherapy doesn’t attack the cancer directly, but it rather releases the brakes of the immune system and for that reason, immunotherapy doesn’t have the typical side effects of chemotherapy,” Bortz’s oncologist, Dr. Christos Kyriakopoulos, explained. Read more…