63-year-old Steve Fulkert from Southern Delaware County was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2009. At the time, the disease was at its first stage, and manageable. But as the years progressed, Steve started to experience other symptoms that were difficult to cope with.
In 2015, he realized that his cancer is no longer manageable and his throat became very sore. He also experienced excessive cough and fatigue.
Not long after that, Steve's oncologist diagnosed that his Lymphoma had grown into a rare cancerous disease called Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma, shortly known as DLBCL.
To begin with, Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system of the body. This type of cancer mainly grows in the neck, spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow, and thymus. But Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma is when enlarged swollen lumps grow into the lymph nodes causing excessive pain and sometimes, bleeding.
After diagnosis, Steve Fulkert went for chemotherapy. He was referred to the OSUCCC- James Cancer Hospital for a second opinion by his oncologist.
The OSUCCC-James Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Program wanted him to postpone trying a stem cell transplant, and if chemotherapy didn't work, the new CAR-T immunotherapy therapy might be an option for Steve.
After five months of chemotherapy, Steve's cancer had not improved, leaving him with the final alternative: a CAR-T therapy clinical trial.