Liver cancer survivor thankful for immunotherapy clinical trial
May 01, 2026
When Gordon Drygalski was diagnosed with early-stage liver cancer in December 2023, several friends told him to go to UT MD Anderson for treatment.
Today, he’s cancer-free and happy that he took that advice.
Incidental finding leads to liver cancer diagnosis
Gordon has a history of ulcers and pancreatitis, so he contacted his gastroenterologist when he began having symptoms in late 2023. He made Gordon an appointment at a local hospital for scans.
“I’ve had scans before, and normally they take 10 minutes. This one took 30 minutes,” he recalls.
The next day, Gordon’s doctor called and said they found a spot on his liver that needed to be evaluated.
“It took three weeks to get a biopsy scheduled,” he says. “And after I had the biopsy, it took another two weeks to get my diagnosis. I wasn’t happy about that. You don’t mess around if there’s a possibility you have cancer.”
Gordon was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer that starts in the liver.
“It’s a miracle because my gastroenterologist was looking for ulcers or other issues in my gastrointestinal system and incidentally found the tumor in my liver,” he says. “Once I told my friends I had liver cancer, they immediately told me to see Dr. Kaseb at UT MD Anderson.”
Immunotherapy clinical trial successfully treats liver cancer
Gordon’s first appointment was Dec. 14, 2023. He lived in the Houston area, so it was pretty convenient to get to UT MD Anderson’s Texas Medical Center Campus.
“The first three days, I was all over the place getting blood tests and full body scans,” he says. “I was amazed I was able to get all that done so quickly, especially when it took so long just to get a biopsy at the previous hospital. UT MD Anderson handled everything efficiently.”
Gordon had another biopsy, which confirmed his liver cancer diagnosis. It was stage 1B.
He met with gastrointestinal medical oncologist Ahmed Kaseb, M.D., to go over his treatment plan.
Since the cancer was caught early, it was still treatable.
“Dr. Kaseb told me, ‘I’m not here to treat you; I’m going to cure you,’” Gordon recalls. “After hearing I had liver cancer, all of my research said I was going to die. And he tells me he’s going to cure me. That felt amazing.”
Kaseb told Gordon about an immunotherapy clinical trial he was leading for patients with liver cancer that could be removed by surgery. During the trial, Gordon would be given combination immunotherapy and targeted therapy drugs – atezolizumab and bevacizumab – before surgery. The trial’s goal was to keep the cancer from growing and spreading and to help prevent the cancer from coming back.
UT MD Anderson’s previous work in this area led to the first-ever report of complete pathologic responses in liver cancer patients after neoadjuvant immunotherapy. After learning more about the trial and hearing that immunotherapy had been working well for other patients, Gordon decided to enroll.
The drugs were delivered intravenously, and he received treatment every three weeks. He received a total of three treatments.
Gastrointestinal surgical oncologist Hop Tran Cao, M.D., spoke with Gordon about his health ahead of surgery.
“Dr. Tran Cao has the best bedside manner,” says Gordon. “He said the cause of my liver cancer was likely from me having diabetes, fatty liver disease and being overweight. He recommended I lose 30 pounds.”
A standard open surgery would have required a big incision and a longer recovery time. Instead, on April 1, 2024, Tran Cao performed a robotic-assisted partial hepatectomy to remove the cancerous growth.
Since the surgery, Gordon’s scans have shown no evidence of disease. He’s now on active surveillance; he comes to UT MD Anderson every six months for follow-ups and scans.
What makes UT MD Anderson special
Since completing treatment, Gordon has regained his strength. He’s still on a mission to lose 30 pounds, as Tran Cao suggested, and he stays active by playing softball and pickleball.
He’s thankful he chose UT MD Anderson and says every staff member is phenomenal.
“My care team is amazing, especially Dr. Kaseb’s physician assistant, Kristen Carter,” he says. “She’s got a child who plays baseball, and I play baseball, so we always chat about her son and how he’s doing during our appointments. I love it.”
He says the positive demeanor of everyone he meets here makes UT MD Anderson stand out from other hospitals.
He appreciates the smiling faces of the staff members at check-in on the gastrointestinal floor. And he often shares a laugh with the nurses when giving blood.
“I’ll joke and say, ‘By the size of these vials, I’m not going to have any blood left when we’re done.’ We always end up laughing,” he says. “Even though they’re treating patients with something as serious as cancer, every staff member at UT MD Anderson is always smiling and helpful. That really makes you feel comfortable.”
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