MADISON, Wis. — Bart Bortz, of Sun Prairie, Wis., defied the odds in his battle against cancer, thanks to groundbreaking research and treatment at UW Health’s Carbone Cancer Center.

Bortz’s ordeal began in 2018 when he experienced troubling symptoms at home. Night sweats plagued him, prompting a visit to the doctor.

Tests revealed inflammation, leading to the discovery of a stage four tumor the size of a softball on his kidney, with metastases to other vital organs.

Bortz underwent surgery to remove the tumor, followed by a lengthy hospital stay.

He said his medical team offered him hope in the form of a phase two clinical trial, utilizing targeted immunotherapy drugs.

“I tell my patients that immunotherapy doesn’t attack the cancer directly, but it rather releases the brakes of the immune system and for that reason, immunotherapy doesn’t have the typical side effects of chemotherapy,” Bortz’s oncologist, Dr. Christos Kyriakopoulos, explained.

After eight months of treatment, scans revealed a remarkable regression of Bortz’s cancer.

“Scan after scan, things continue like to shrink… and that has been the case ever since,” Dr. Kyriakopoulos said.

“And after those eight treatments, [I was] cancer free,” Bortz said.

 Bortz was diagnosed with cancer at 42 years old, which is younger than the typical kidney cancer patient.

“Most patients with kidney cancer. They get diagnosed during their sixth decade of life,” Dr. Kyriakopoulos noted, highlighting the rarity of Bortz’s situation.

Today, Bortz is celebrating five years with no evidence of disease.

Bortz said he cherishes every moment.

“Life is a blessing. That’s why today is a present. I always say live life now,” Bortz said.

Learn more about kidney cancer and immunotherapy treatment at Carbone Cancer Center, here.