Dear Scientist,

I’m Brian Okamoto, a 69-year-old former engineering manager. For the past 12 years, I had been enjoying retirement with Lisa, my life partner of 40 years, until a cancer diagnosis changed everything.

On Thanksgiving Day in 2016, we returned from a family brunch and I noticed a small amount of blood in my urine. It was just a tiny amount. I mentioned this to my doctor during a routine physical and he made an appointment with my urologist then and there. With concern, he said, “We really have to find the source of this blood.” 

Soon after, in Dec. 2016 I was diagnosed with a form of bladder cancer. This was a devastating surprise, especially because I’m not a smoker and have always been healthy; staying active and eating right. 

I quickly learned that the bladder cancer journey can be long with multiple years of immunotherapy treatments. And to make things more worrisome, the recurrence rate for bladder cancer can be relatively high, typically requiring regular examinations and tests for the rest of one’s life.

Since my diagnosis, I have come to realize that, for me, the mental aspects of bladder cancer can be even more exhausting than the physical. It’s not something like an injury that, once healed, can simply be forgotten. Thankfully, I haven’t had any recurrences, but not a day goes by that I do not think about my disease and what may have caused it. 

Fortunately, swim workouts with my friends, frequent camping trips, and vegetable gardening help keep my mind in a healthy state. There are still some lingering effects, but they are relatively minor and I consider myself to be a very lucky person.

Today, my strategy is to stay vigilant: I keep up with all my appointments and continue doing the things I love. I also volunteer with the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) through the Survivor to Survivor program, which has been a meaningful way to connect with others and give back.

My main question for you is: How do you see bladder cancer treatments evolving in the future? 

As a patient, I cannot tell you how comforting it is to know that scientists and researchers like yourself are searching for new treatments for bladder cancer. Hope, itself, is a powerful thing. 

Thank you for all you do,

Brian