UCLA Journal of Radiation Oncology Fall and Winter 2022 - Flipbook - Page 14
UCLA RADIATION ONCOLOGY JOURNAL
G I V E N TWO Y E A R S TO L I V E,
A PAT I E N T G E T S H I S L I F E B AC K
We used a special kind of innovative, cutting-edge technology called adaptive
radiation therapy, which allows us to tweak or finesse the design of the radiation,
on the fly, in real-time, to adjust for day-to-day changes in the patient's anatomy
B
y all accounts, Lazaro Barajas was living
a good life. At forty years old he was
married, had a good job as a general
manager of a restaurant chain in Santa Clarita,
and was saving to buy a first home for his
family. A huge sports fan since childhood, he
enjoyed attending his young son’s and daughter’s
football and basketball games and cheering on
his beloved Los Angeles Lakers.
Barajas was referred to Anne Lin, MD, a
colorectal surgeon and chief quality officer
for the Division of General Surgery at UCLA
Health. Dr. Lin removed his tumorous colon,
and Barajas started chemotherapy at another
medical facility.
Despite receiving several cycles of
chemotherapy, however, Barajas’ disease had
spread to other organs, becoming metastatic
(stage 4), which is usually considered incurable.
Then, in 2019, Barajas’ world was shattered
when he was diagnosed with invasive colorectal
cancer, a disease in which cells in the colon (the
lower part of the large intestine) or rectum grow
out of control.
“When I found out it was stage 4, and the doctor
said you’ve only got two years to live, it broke my
heart, especially with my two kids. That’s when
my mind started scrambling,” Barajas says.
While the majority of colorectal cancers are
found during a routine colonoscopy — an
imaging test for abnormalities in the colon — at
40 and with no family history of the disease,
that screening wasn’t on Barajas’ radar. His only
symptom — albeit, an alarming one — was a
rapid weight loss of about 40 pounds over three
weeks.
Desperate for answers, Barajas recalled a
conversation he had with Dr. Lin shortly after
his surgery: “Dr. Lin said, ‘If you ever need
something, just call us here at my office and
we’ll get you the help you need. You’re too young
to give up.’”
Barajas made that call, and it changed the
trajectory of his treatment and his life.
“My wife noticed it more than I did,” Barajas
says. “Losing that much weight I was still able to
work, and I didn’t feel drained or anything like
that.”
Early Diagnosis Is Key
In 2019, the most recent year for which data is
available, 142,462 new cases of colon and rectal
cancer were reported in the U.S., and nearly
52,000 people died from it, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
His wife persuaded him to visit a nearby
medical clinic, and subsequently, a colonoscopy
and biopsy confirmed the cancer diagnosis.
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