“I was thinking about this the other night, one of the things that changed was I stopped flossing, because I figured, what’s the point?” Thomas recalls, sitting in a treatment room at START Mountain Region, reflecting on how his perspective had changed after getting his cancer diagnosis.

Thomas, who works full-time as a bartender in Salt Lake City, Utah, had always been active and fit throughout his life. He ran marathons and played multiple sports all through college. “The biggest change after my diagnosis was losing my physical strength,” he says. “I used to run 16 miles in the morning. Now, my body isn’t the same.”

Thomas first noticed something was wrong about a year before his diagnosis, when he began having back pain and trouble with bowel movements. He didn’t think it was serious at first. “I was having severe back pain and thought what I needed was a new mattress or a new couch,” he recalls. But when he noticed blood in the bowl, he knew it was time to see a doctor.

Following a colonoscopy, his physician, Dr. Jonathan Whisenant, told him he had cancer. A CT scan then revealed more sobering news. The cancer had spread to his liver, lungs, and lymph nodes. His treatment began immediately.

Thomas started chemotherapy, but within a couple of cycles of treatment he had a tear in his intestine which required emergency surgery. During the two month recovery period, his cancer got worse. A more intense second regimen of chemo didn’t seem to have much effect either. “We had to rethink the next course of action and look at other options,” he says.

Around this time, Dr. Whisenant discovered that his tumor had a mutation in the KRAS gene, which opened up the possibility of being enrolled in a clinical trial. His physician referred him to Dr. Justin A. Call at START Mountain Region in Salt Lake City where there was an ongoing trial for patients with late stage solid tumors with a KRAS mutation. Luckily for Thomas, START was just a 15-20 minute car ride away.

After thorough testing, Thomas was declared eligible for the clinical trial. “I started my first cycle on December 26, the day after Christmas,” he recalls. “I remember texting someone, saying, ‘I’m in!!’”

“Thomas has been incredible throughout his cancer treatment journey at START, and now he’s an enthusiastic advocate for other patients to learn about clinical trials,” says Dr. Call, who is the Director of Clinical Research at START Mountain Region.

Thomas visited the clinic twice a week for his treatment and usually drove himself home, which is a big change from when he was on chemotherapy and often had to wait for an hour or more after the treatment or get extra fluids so he’d feel good enough to drive.

Amazingly, Thomas managed to work full-time throughout most of his care journey. “It’s not the easiest job physically, and sometimes I’ll ask someone, ‘Hey, can you take the garbage out tonight? I have cancer,’” he says with a chuckle.

Thomas credits the care and support he’s received from the team at START Mountain Region. “The people here are incredible,” he says. “I’ve gotten to know everybody and they’ve become like family, they even know to save my seat on the days I come in.”

Thomas’s determination and advocacy for himself made a lasting impact, not only on his care team but also on others navigating their own cancer journeys. One of Thomas’s greatest contributions has been his willingness to share his story. Recently, a high school classmate reached out after being diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Thomas didn’t hesitate to offer advice and encouragement, urging them to explore all possible treatment options, including clinical trials.

Despite going through many challenges, Thomas is hopeful and excited about the road ahead. “I tell people all the time I’m a miracle of modern science, which is kind of true. Oh, and I’ve started flossing again.”