Stories of Hope: Kenneth Woo, Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient

MD Anderson has become "like home" to three-time cancer survivor Kenneth Woo.
"I go back and visit the nurses who cared for me. They became part of my family," says Kenneth. He's been in remission for 10 years and volunteers with the Anderson Network support group for cancer survivors.
Kenneth's own cancer experience began in 1993, when his doctor diagnosed him with Hodgkin disease. He immediately turned to MD Anderson for treatment. After three rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, he went into remission, and life went on happily for Kenneth, his wife, Clara, and their baby daughter.
The sense of normalcy, however, would be fleeting. About three years later - two weeks before their second daughter's birth - the couple was shocked to learn Kenneth's cancer had returned.
"We dived into chemotherapy. I'd exhausted all the radiation my body could stand," he says.
Once past that treatment, the Woo household returned to normalcy again, until 2003, when Kenneth began to feel dizzy and short of breath. His internist, who had trained at MD Anderson, diagnosed anemia and, aware of the implications, sent Kenneth back to the institution.
"That's when they told me I had acute myeloid leukemia," says Kenneth.
Two of his chromosomes had mutated during the Hodgkin disease treatments. Kenneth learned that acute myeloid leukemia (AML) can be a side effect.
"That was pretty hard. We were a happy family. Clara and I were doing quite well in our professions, and the children were doing well," he says.
Kenneth, then 45, met the criteria for a clinical trial developed from a treatment for pediatric leukemia. During the aggressive chemotherapy, which required a month-long quarantine, Kenneth's doctor told him a stem cell transplant was his best shot at long-term survival.
"He hugged me and said, 'Kenneth, don't worry. We'll get through this together.' That gave me such comfort, that my doctor was part of a team that would walk with me. I had peace of mind and felt that, though it wouldn't be an easy road, I'd be OK."
Kenneth's sister, who happened to be visiting from Hong Kong, was a perfect match for the stem cell transplant.
"I decided to take the chance," says Kenneth.
Ten years later, Kenneth, now cancer-free, is grateful for the research advances that have allowed him more years to enjoy as a father, husband, brother and son.
"MD Anderson is my hope," he says. "I know that without it, I wouldn't be alive today."
Hearing about the AML Moon Shot was "like winning the lottery," says Kenneth, stressing the importance of philanthropic support. "More research means better treatment. I hope I won't need to use that treatment, but I know this will mean a lot to patients who come along later."
For more information and to make a donation, visit: cancermoonshots.org