Cancerwise

In early 2022, Phil Sprick noticed a lump behind his cheekbone while shaving. He visited his ear, nose and throat doctor a few weeks later and eventually had surgery to remove what was believed to be a benign tumor in his right parotid gland.

“After the surgery, I was declaring victory,” recalls Phil, who was 65 at the time. “But two weeks later, I got a call from the doctor saying the biopsy results came back positive for cancer.”

His doctor wanted to refer him to a radiation oncologist, but Phil chose to come to MD Anderson.

“At that point, we were no longer talking about a benign tumor. It was cancer, and I was terrified,” he says. “I live in Houston, and I’d talked to people about MD Anderson before.”

Phil was happy he didn’t need a doctor’s referral to make an appointment.

MD Anderson develops treatment plan for salivary gland cancer

At his first appointment, Phil met head and neck surgeon Carol Lewis, M.D.

“She looked at my surgical scar and said that my surgeon had not done anything wrong, but she needed to see the slides from the biopsy,” he says.

Phil had new scans and testing done at MD Anderson, and pathologists specializing in head and neck cancer reviewed the previous biopsy slides.

They found that there were positive margins after surgery. This means that there were cancer cells present in the tissue surrounding the tumor, so some cancer could have been left behind.

Phil was diagnosed with low-grade acinic cell carcinoma of the parotid gland, a type of salivary gland cancer.

Several doctors met to review his case, and they decided on a treatment plan.

“My care team spent an hour on the phone with me and my wife explaining the recommendations for my treatment,” Phil recalls. “We never felt rushed.”

They could either do surveillance on the area and treat the cancer if it came back, or they could do radiation therapy to kill off any remaining cancer cells.

Radiation oncologist Adam Garden, M.D., recommended proton therapy. Phil agreed.

“I wanted to make sure the cancer didn’t come back,” he says.

Phil received 30 proton therapy treatments over the course of six weeks. He completed treatment on May 6, 2022.

His only side effect was a burn on his cheek, but he couldn’t feel it because that nerve was cut during surgery. 

“When I was lying on the table during radiation, I couldn’t move at all, not a millimeter,” he recalls. “I see how that could freak out some patients. But I had amazing staff who treated me extraordinarily kindly and personally. We developed a relationship over those weeks, and I’m so grateful for them.”

Choosing proton therapy to treat a prostate cancer diagnosis

Over two years after completing radiation treatment for salivary gland cancer, Phil was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 67.

Routine bloodwork showed that his PSA level was elevated. He visited his urologist, who thought it might be due to an infection. After taking antibiotics for two weeks, his PSA level was even higher. He had a prostate biopsy, and the results were positive for prostate cancer. 

“My urologist wanted to refer me to another doctor for treatment,” says Phil. “Once again, I said I wanted to go to MD Anderson.”   

He met Seungtaek Choi, M.D., a radiation oncologist who specializes in treating genitourinary cancers.

“Dr. Choi recommended proton therapy,” says Phil. “He was confident he could treat the prostate cancer, so I was on board.”

Phil had a total of 28 proton therapy treatments over the course of six weeks. 

“Once I was back on that table, it was ‘rinse and repeat,’” he says of undergoing proton therapy a second time. “I received my radiation at the same Proton Therapy Center, and once again, I was treated by marvelous, positive people.”

Phil experienced some minor burning sensations midway through his treatments, so Choi prescribed an alpha-blocker to relax the surrounding muscles and alleviate the symptoms.

“Before prostate cancer treatment, my PSA level had gotten to the high 5s, and now, thankfully, it’s below 1,” he says.

Finding renewed purpose after cancer treatment

Phil is now cancer-free, and he has checkups at MD Anderson every six months.

Prior to his first cancer diagnosis, he had planned on working until he was 70.

“Cancer was one of the catalysts for retirement,” he says. “It was a wake-up call that I might not be Superman.”

Cancer also made Phil think about how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. So, he enrolled in a program to pursue his doctorate in education from Vanderbilt University. He plans to graduate in May 2026 at age 69.

He also takes every opportunity to share his experience with others facing cancer diagnoses. One way he does this is by volunteering with myCancerConnection, MD Anderson’s one-on-one cancer support community.

“Empathy arises from experience, so I talk to a lot of people about what they can expect,” he says. “I hope to give them solace and help them understand what they’re about to experience. I also strongly recommend going to MD Anderson first.”

Phil is thankful for support from his wife, Lynne, close friends and family. And he can’t say enough great things about his care team and the staff at MD Anderson.

“One day on campus, I was looking at a map trying to find my way to get coffee when a doctor asked if I needed help locating something,” he recalls. “Instead of telling me how to get there, she walked me there herself and joined me for coffee. That small interaction shows how patient-focused everyone at MD Anderson is. It’s part of what makes MD Anderson so special.” 

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