Woman Becomes First to Be Cured of Stage Four Urothelial Cancer

Judy Wells was the first patient to receive a cure for stage four urothelial cancer, according to doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The diagnosis came after a CT scan revealed an unusual spot on her right kidney. Doctors initially recommended removing the organ. However, a friend advised Wells to seek a second opinion in New York.

Wells, a former nurse with 47 years of patient care experience, had recently retired. She planned to pursue hobbies like baking and beekeeping. Instead, she underwent a cystoscopy and a biopsy of her right kidney and ureter. The results showed high-grade urothelial cancer. This rare form of cancer typically affects the bladder lining.

The New York medical team proposed a new treatment plan. They prescribed Padcev, a targeted medicine recently approved by the FDA, alongside Keytruda, an immunotherapy drug. The cancer was close to her spine and nearly entered her bloodstream. Wells said the medication stopped the progression.

Wells traveled from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to New York with her husband every three months for scans. This routine lasted for 18 months. She also received treatment at an oncology center in Hattiesburg. The regimen took a physical toll. She lost about 50 pounds and was nearly bedridden for parts of the period.

“The medicine was pretty rough on me,” Wells said. “A lot of nausea, a lot of vomiting, you know. It was pretty bad, but I was determined I was gonna go through it.” The treatment eventually shrank the cancer enough for surgery. Doctors removed her right kidney and 50 lymph nodes.

After the surgery, Wells received a phone call from her doctor. He informed her that she was the first person to be cured of urothelial cancer. “You were stage four and deemed incurable,” her doctor told her. “Well, I just want you to know you’re the very first, the first one to get a cure from urothelial cancer.”

Wells is now 18 months cancer-free. Her treatment plan has become the standard for urothelial cancer. She said she hopes her experience gives others hope. “Because who gets over stage four deemed incurable? Not many,” Wells said. “And I want to be the one to give them hope that just because that they got that result does not mean that it’s a death sentence.”