Thirty-nine-year-old Matthew Hurney didn’t see a primary care doctor because he thought he was in pretty good health. But in September 2018, he noticed blood in the toilet after going to the bathroom.
Knowing his grandfather had colon cancer in his 40s, Matthew decided to visit UPMC Urgent Care located near his home in Delmont. There, the provider referred him to Hitendra Patel, MD, a gastroenterologist at Gastroenterology Associates–UPMC in Monroeville. During his visit, Dr. Patel ordered Matthew appropriate clinical testing that revealed that he had a tumor.
“Dr. Patel called me and said he thought it looked to be cancer. It was very stressful,” says Matthew.
Further testing confirmed it was colon cancer.
Advanced Surgical Care
Dr. Patel next referred Matthew to David Medich, MD, a colon and rectal surgeon at UPMC with expertise in the management of colon and rectal carcinoma. Within a month, Matthew met with Dr. Medich, who recommended he have a colon resection, a surgical procedure to remove the tumor.
“Dr. Medich was confident. He assured me that we would get this straightened out and made me feel at ease. He was easy to talk to and made it so I could understand what was going on,” says Matthew.
In March 2019, he underwent the colon resection at UPMC Presbyterian where 18 inches of his colon and the tumor were removed. Matthew’s colon was 95% obstructed, so if he hadn’t had surgery, a rupture was likely. He spent three days in the hospital recovering.
“Dr. Medich and his team were top-notch,” says Matthew. “I received very good care, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Whenever I had questions or doubts, I called him, and he took the time to call me back and talk.”
Matt next had a CT scan done to see if the cancer had spread to other areas of his body. The results showed a spot on his liver, but a biopsy done at UPMC Shadyside came back inconclusive.
Comprehensive Cancer Treatment
Because of the spot on his liver, Dr. Medich recommended chemotherapy (“chemo”) and referred Matthew to Vikram C. Gorantla, MD, a medical oncologist who specializes in treating gastrointestinal malignancies at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Shadyside.
One month after his surgery, he began chemo in Shadyside. He traveled to UPMC Hillman every other Thursday and went home with a chemo pump to wear until Sunday. Treatment left Matthew exhausted, and as a truck mechanic with a three-year-old at home, that made it even more challenging.
“My son didn’t like the pump. He came running over the one day, knocked it off, and it set the pump alarm off. He knew from that point, he had to be cautious with dad,” says Matthew.
A scan following some rounds of treatment confirmed the cancer had spread to his liver. Matthew completed 14 rounds of chemo and was then referred to David A. Geller, MD, a surgical oncologist and director of the UPMC Liver Cancer Center. He met with Dr. Geller, who recommended the surgical procedure known as a liver resection.
“Dr. Geller is a great guy and was very confident. He said he would get me taken care of and he answered all my questions,” says Matthew.
In October 2019, Dr. Geller performed the surgery on Matthew at UPMC Presbyterian, which involved removing half of his liver. He recovered in the hospital for five days.
Compassionate Cancer Care
“I received excellent care,” describes Matthew.
He continued chemotherapy until his last treatment on Dec. 30. Now at 45, Matthew has been cancer free ever since and recently celebrated his five-year mark in 2024. Over time, he says Dr. Gorantla and his staff became like family to him, his wife, and his mother, who attended each appointment with Matthew.
“When we went in for visits, we laughed and had a great time. They celebrated every step along with us,” adds Matthew.
Matthew continues annual colonoscopies and visits with Dr. Medich.
For anyone who also has a family history of colon cancer or who may be experiencing similar symptoms, Matthew advises to take it seriously: “Don’t be scared to get a colonoscopy. It’s no big deal. It could get a lot worse before it gets better.”
