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Conquered 2 cancers while climbing mountains
Chris Hogan faced kidney cancer and prostate cancer at the same time. He hopes his story of determination and resilience will inspire others in their own fight.
Chris Hogan after scaling White Mountain Peak, the third-highest peak in California.
As Chris Hogan felt more stress at work, he did not know he would soon face the fight of his life.
He noticed his blood pressure was consistently higher than normal, so he went in for a health check. His blood test showed high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. High PSA can be a sign of prostate cancer.
Hogan was not fully surprised. Prostate cancer runs in his family. He had been screened at age 40, and that test was negative. But now, at age 50, a biopsy showed he had stage 3 prostate cancer.
Hogan wanted the most aggressive treatment. He chose surgery to remove the tumor instead of radiation. But then he faced an unexpected problem.
A pre-surgery CT scan showed a mass on his right kidney. Doctors later confirmed it was stage 3 kidney cancer. His surgeon said the cancer had likely been there for 10 to 15 years.
“At age 40, I was cancer-free and received a perfect bill of health,” said Hogan. “All of a sudden, at age 50, I have 2 cancers. All these years, there were no indications I had either of these cancers.”
Doctors told Hogan he might have about 17 years to live. Faced with an uncertain future, he chose determination over despair.
Kidney cancer recovery
In April 2021, Hogan had open abdominal surgery to remove his entire kidney.
Hogan brought his plush bear with him to every appointment, surgery, and radiation treatment.
He wanted the next surgery to address the prostate cancer right away. But doctors said he needed radiation instead. They warned that having surgeries too close together could slow his healing.
Hogan refused to feel sorry for himself. He wanted to prove he was strong enough for a second surgery. The day after his kidney surgery, a nurse asked him to walk 4 laps around the recovery floor. Hogan did more than that. He took 5,500 steps instead.
“I said ‘this cancer is not going to stop me’ and I just kept going,” he recalled. “When they said to do 3 reps of a rehab exercise, I did 10. When they said to come in at a certain time, I showed up early.”
He also began climbing mountains to stay motivated and push his body.
Spreading hope in the hallways
With such frequent appointments, Hogan became a familiar face in the hallways.
“The cancer halls are a lonely world,” he admitted. “I would walk the halls and see a lot of people who were down and sad, and I didn’t like that.”
Because he always arrived early, he made friends with the other patients.
“I would offer a smile, talk with anyone who would listen, help them process their emotions, and tell them that we can get through this together,” he said.
Treatment for prostate cancer
Hogan’s hard work paid off. Just five months later, in September 2021, he regained enough strength to have surgery to remove his prostate gland.
He healed well from both surgeries. But his PSA levels still worried his oncologist, Ghalib Jibara, MD, so he was referred for radiation therapy.
Hogan completed 33 radiation sessions in 2 months. After each session, he did not rest. Instead, he drove up to the San Gabriel Mountains and went climbing.
“I got up every single day and I didn't make any excuses,” said Hogan. “I think that can make a huge difference in your recovery.”
Since July 2021, Hogan has climbed 16 mountain peaks totaling 400 miles and 75,000 feet of elevation gain.
Hogan has climbed Mount San Antonio, also known as Mount Baldy, a 10,064-foot summit in the San Gabriel Mountains.
A success story
At the end of his radiation treatment, Hogan’s PSA level was zero. This result unofficially made him cancer-free. Five years later, he remains in complete remission from both cancers.
Hogan feels grateful for the care he received at Kaiser Permanente.
“Kaiser Permanente has been good to me,” he said. “They give you all the tools you need to be a survivor, too. If you use the tools properly, they will help you.”