Colon cancer survivor thankful for doctors’ thoughtful and compassionate approach to treatment
May 13, 2026
Retired Army Col. Lawrence Henry, Ph.D., has a storied military career that spans almost three decades. He served six years as a Military Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army, then spent over 20 years as a Green Beret before retiring in 2020. He’s been deployed to Africa, Central America, South America, Korea and in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
“It wasn’t abnormal for me to occasionally have gas, an upset stomach or even blood in my stool because of the unique places my career has taken me and the foods I’ve eaten,” he says.
But in 2021, he began having stomach pains so bad that they kept him up at night. He’d also feel full after a bowel movement. So, he and his wife, T'Lira, decided he should get a colonoscopy.
The colonoscopy revealed a tumor in his colon. After seeing a doctor in Tampa, where he was living at the time, Lawrence was diagnosed with combat service-related stage 3C colon cancer. He was 50.
Doctors believed the cancer was linked to exposure to burn pits during his military service. Lawrence received treatment locally, which included surgery followed by 12 rounds of chemotherapy.
He rang the bell in March 2022 to mark the end of treatment.
“It was a surreal feeling because I know that some people don’t get to ring the bell. I felt really blessed to come out on the other side of cancer,” he says. “Ringing the bell was a time for reflection, to be thankful and really start advocating.”
UT MD Anderson treats colon cancer recurrence
Lawrence did well for years. His family moved from Florida to Dallas. Then, scans in January 2025 revealed a new nodule in his right lung and some activity in lymph nodes in his abdomen. A biopsy confirmed a colon cancer recurrence that had spread to his lymph nodes, making it stage 4 disease.
A friend who was treated at UT MD Anderson recommended that Lawrence make an appointment.
“He told me, ‘If you have something like a broken arm or chipped tooth, go to the hospital. But cancer treatment is very specialized. So, you need to go to an institution that specializes in treating cancer, and UT MD Anderson is the best cancer hospital in the world,’” Lawrence recalls.
He had his first appointment at UT MD Anderson on March 12, 2025.
“UT MD Anderson stood out right away from other hospitals I’d been to – just in how thorough they were performing my CT scan,” he recalls. “The technicians use state-of-the-art equipment, they know what they’re looking for, and they understand how to take the pictures to provide the doctor with the best perspective. And I got my results quickly.”
Gastrointestinal medical oncologist Van Morris, M.D., went over treatment options with Lawrence, including the roles of surgery and chemotherapy.
“Dr. Morris said we could either do nothing, do chemotherapy or do chemotherapy and surgery,” Lawrence says. “He and his team walked me through each option, making sure I had a clear understanding of the pros and cons for each.”
Lawrence chose to undergo chemotherapy and surgery. He completed six rounds of the chemotherapy regimen FOLFIRI locally in Dallas and came to UT MD Anderson for scans and bloodwork. Doctors wanted the chemo to shrink the metastasis in Lawrence’s lung before surgery. The chemo did shrink the tumor.
On July 26, colon and rectal surgeon Brian Bednarski, M.D., completed surgery to remove lymph nodes in Lawrence’s abdomen, three of which were found to be cancerous.
“Dr. Bednarski had great bedside manner,” says Lawrence. “He really helped me prepare mentally for the surgery. He had normal human conversations with me. He made me laugh. He showed me he’s still a doctor, but he also possesses a human side.”
On Aug. 29, thoracic surgeon Kyle Mitchell, M.D., performed a wedge resection to remove the cancer from Lawrence’s lung.
“What I appreciate most about my surgeons was not their cultural competence, but their cultural intelligence,” he says. “They asked me about my preferences and my feelings, so they could understand the fears and concerns I had. That made me feel very comfortable proceeding with the surgeries.”
Since November, Lawrence’s scans have shown no evidence of disease, and his blood tests have shown no signs of cancer coming back. He remains off treatment for colon cancer and comes to UT MD Anderson every three months for checkups. What he most looks forward to on his visits is eating a half-pancake from the restaurant at the Rotary House Hotel. He dubs them the best pancakes in the world.
“Throughout everything, I’ve had the support of my wife, family, friends, faith and my work,” he says. “I kicked it up a gear in the community by hosting programs that put me in front of a lot of people, so I could share my story.”
Encouraging colorectal cancer screening
Lawrence’s experience inspired him to start a nonprofit focused, in part, on making conversations about colorectal cancer more common, particularly among Black people in low-income communities, who have higher rates of colorectal cancer.
He encourages everyone to get regular checkups – including colonoscopies – to never ignore symptoms, and, most importantly – to advocate for themselves.
“If you’re diagnosed with cancer, find doctors you’re comfortable with who will walk you through the process and explain everything,” he says. “Ask probing questions that matter to you like, ‘If I say no to this treatment option, what’s the worst that could happen?’ or ‘How might this side effect affect me psychologically, mentally or sexually?’”
Lawrence has some peripheral neuropathy and cold sensitivity from oxaliplatin, one of the chemotherapy drugs he took during initial colon cancer treatment. To manage it, he takes medicine occasionally and keeps his feet and hands covered when possible. He also takes blood thinners and medicines for chronic heart failure and from blood clots he developed from his initial chemotherapy treatment. He’s still very active with his nonprofit.
“Overall, I feel great mentally, spiritually and socially,” he says. “I do get some anxiety before my scans, but I look forward to seeing my UT MD Anderson care team. They go above and beyond the numbers and really care about you as a patient and human being. I’m very grateful.”
Request an appointment at UT MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.