{"id":28972,"date":"2023-05-15T03:03:24","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T07:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cancerresearch.org\/?post_type=cri_stories&#038;p=28972"},"modified":"2026-03-27T14:28:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T18:28:45","slug":"stephen-estrada","status":"publish","type":"cri_stories","link":"https:\/\/www.cancerresearch.org\/es\/stories\/immunoadvocates\/stephen-estrada","title":{"rendered":"Stephen Estrada"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Stephen Estrada was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 28 and was in a clinical trial for a checkpoint inhibitor, a type of immunotherapy. Since beginning this treatment, his disease has remained stable, and he has been able to do more of the things he loves, like cooking, trying the latest restaurants, and traveling.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Actively Living with Colorectal Cancer: Stephen&#039;s Immunotherapy Story\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d7BzuMO76ss?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Questions and Answers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--42)\">\n<section  class=\"accordion-block align wp-block-acf-accordion\" id=\"accordion-block_5d03a347c9afb7fdb6ef9f792e2c137a\">\n  <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<header class=\"block-accordion-panel-title\">\n  <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How and when did you first learn you had cancer?<\/h3>\n\n<\/div><\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"block-accordion-panel-copy\">\n    <div class=\"block-accordion-panel-inner\">\n      <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>My name is Stephen Estrada. I live, work, and play in Denver, Colorado. I live with my partner Kenley, and our two dogs Gretel and Joey. I tend to be more of a homebody since my diagnosis, but that suits us all just fine.<br><br>I was rushed into an emergency colon resection 4 days after my first CT scan showed a \u201ccancer like mass.\u201d I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 28. With this diagnosis came the news that I also have a genetic condition known as Lynch Syndrome, which means I\u2019m at an increased risk for many types of cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After healing from surgery, I started a six month course of FOLFOX with Avastin. My tumor shrank enough at that point for me to receive a NanoKnife procedure. During that surgery I also underwent a stomach bypass, small intestine resection, mesenteric resection, gallbladder removal, as well as an intestinal rerouting. None of that was planned, so I was fairly shocked upon waking up.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<section  class=\"accordion-block align wp-block-acf-accordion\" id=\"accordion-block_5d03a347c9afb7fdb6ef9f792e2c137a\">\n  <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<header class=\"block-accordion-panel-title\">\n  <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How did you learn about immunotherapy and why did you decide to do it?<\/h3>\n\n<\/div><\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"block-accordion-panel-copy\">\n    <div class=\"block-accordion-panel-inner\">\n      <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>After another CT scan showed that the NanoKnife failed, I enrolled in an immunotherapy trial in June 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have what is called MSI-high cancer. This type of cancer was showing great success with immunotherapies and my oncologist felt this would be a great opportunity for me. After thinking about it for a few days, I made the decision to enroll in a phase 1 clinical trial with the study drug MPDL3280a (atezolizumab, TECENTRIQ) and Avastin.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<section  class=\"accordion-block align wp-block-acf-accordion\" id=\"accordion-block_5d03a347c9afb7fdb6ef9f792e2c137a\">\n  <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<header class=\"block-accordion-panel-title\">\n  <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What was treatment like? Did you have any side effects?<\/h3>\n\n<\/div><\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"block-accordion-panel-copy\">\n    <div class=\"block-accordion-panel-inner\">\n      <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>My current status is that I have stable disease. With the drug I\u2019m on, they have seen people\u2019s tumors shrink and then die, but still remain as a ball of inflammation. That might be the case with me, but there is no safe way to biopsy the tumor to see if it is metabolically active or not. So, I\u2019ll just keep on keepin\u2019 on!<\/p>\n\n<\/div>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<section  class=\"accordion-block align wp-block-acf-accordion\" id=\"accordion-block_5d03a347c9afb7fdb6ef9f792e2c137a\">\n  <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<header class=\"block-accordion-panel-title\">\n  <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are there things that surprise you about the cancer experience?<\/h3>\n\n<\/div><\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"block-accordion-panel-copy\">\n    <div class=\"block-accordion-panel-inner\">\n      <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>In all the ways cancer has affected me, one way stands out the most. Cancer taught me how to really love myself. Before, I liked who I was. I enjoyed myself and my life. But now I can honestly say I am deeply in love with who I am. And I have cancer to thank for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As for the future, I just want to live life fully. Whatever that means. I don\u2019t need to climb Mt. Everest or hike across the United States. I just want to live more in the \u201cnow.\u201d I want to be around the people I love. I want to be more honest with myself and others. I want to enjoy what I do for a living and just be thankful that I\u2019m able to do anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But most of all, I want the gift of immunotherapy to be accessible to everyone. Being on my trial has improved my life a million times over, but it hurts when I see my friends in pain from cancer. I want my gift to be everyone else\u2019s gift too. I hope that by participating in a trial, I can help make that a reality.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<section  class=\"accordion-block align wp-block-acf-accordion\" id=\"accordion-block_5d03a347c9afb7fdb6ef9f792e2c137a\">\n  <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<header class=\"block-accordion-panel-title\">\n  <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What would you want another patient to know about immunotherapy or about participating in a clinical trial?<\/h3>\n\n<\/div><\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"block-accordion-panel-copy\">\n    <div class=\"block-accordion-panel-inner\">\n      <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>People who know me know that I research the hell out of anything and everything. That\u2019s what got me to where I\u2019m at now. I left my original oncologist because she was a general oncologist, and I wanted the best in the GI cancer world. Every cancer patient deserves the best, but they have to research and be their own advocate. Don\u2019t take \u201cno\u201d for an answer. Keep going, keep reading, keep asking questions.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stephen Estrada was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 28 and was in a clinical trial for a checkpoint inhibitor, a type of immunotherapy. 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