After facing the threat of aggressive war, Many veterans Also, the wage war against cancer.
One of them is John Ryan of Aldi, Virginia. US Navy A veteran diagnosed with lung cancer after serving in the military for 30 years.
Since he enlisted in October 1962, many of the commander’s military service was described as “closed in secret,” according to a November 2024 report from the Cancer Institute (CRI). Masu.
“I’m a cancer survivor – here’s what I cut out from my kitchen.”
In an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital, Ryan shared that he had participated in the “nuclear program” amid the Cuban missile crisis, during which he embarked on about 12 patrols on nuclear submarines.
The US destroyer inspects a Soviet cargo ship off Cuba on November 12, 1962. (Getty Images)
Ryan retired from active military service in 1992 and retired full-time in 2000, spending time with his family in northern Virginia.
In 2013, Ryan began vomiting blood and called the doctor after being sent to the emergency room. His diagnosis was harsh: stage 4 adenocarcinoma, known as alias Non-small cell lung cancer.
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Ryan received four chemotherapy sessions at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, but he did not improve. He also suffered from residual side effects from both Chemotherapy and cancerfatigue, pain, weight loss, pleural effusion, etc.
Asked for a second opinion, Ryan met Julie Brahmer, MD, at Johns Hopkins, Maryland. He was registered with a Clinical trials It is a type of treatment that uses the patient’s own immune system to combat cancer, which began in October 2013 for immunotherapy.

Veterans are exposed to toxic substances while they are in the military, making them at a 25% higher risk of developing lung cancer, according to the VA. (istock)
According to Brahmer, lung cancer poses a major threat to the veteran community.
After four injections of nivolumab (OpDivo) over nine weeks, Ryan’s CT scan revealed a 65% reduction in tumor size, he told Fox News Digital.
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“The 65% reduction was great and it was a bit of a walk. I liked the 84% reduction,” he said. “And I was living a normal life.”
In addition to immunotherapy, Ryan also received three-dimensional form. Radiation therapy (SBRT), which is a highly targeted type of radiation, there were virtually no side effects except for minor itching.

John Ryan (right) is portrayed as Dr. Julie Brahmer of Johns Hopkins Medicine. (John Ryan)
His cancer has improved, but Ryan began to struggle with breathing and ran into a major disorder in 2022, when he began to develop chronic pneumonia.
“The psychological difficulty of staying indoors During Covid-19 I had a career in nuclear submarines so it was relatively easy. And claustrophobia wasn’t bad,” he recalled.
“Good night, about sleep, shake it off. There are at least some blessings you can start the next day.”
“However, what was pretty challenging for me was the unknown pathway with increased inflammation and reduced lung capacity,” he added.
Ryan’s immunotherapy journey lasted 100 months, accumulating 160 miles of round trips and over 225 infusions to Johns Hopkins. Today, veterans are officially cancer-free.

“What was pretty challenging for me was the unknown path with increased inflammation and reduced lung volume,” said Ryan (no photo). (istock)
Ryan shared that one of the best advice he received was from a nurse Walter Reed, who spoke openly about his health condition.
“She said, ‘Chase, Sonny Boy, if you don’t take this, you’ll die.” “Well, shall we sign off?” he said. He repeated.
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“And she said, “You need to take this seriously. Don’t look for anything to worry about, because you can really wrap around the axle with pressure and uncertainty.”
The nurse also told Ryan, “It’s absolutely worthless to have put yourself in a frenzy. Sleep well and shake. Let’s start the next day, at least.”

Ryan (pictured on the left) advised other cancer patients to move themselves “in a frenzy” and avoid staying positive. (John Ryan; Estock)
Veterans too I believed in his faith To give him the power to defeat cancer. “You must draw your hope and courage from somewhere. Your faith was high,” he said.
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“I had a father, a military disciplinary technique, so I don’t think the worst things that could happen will bother me. I’m just going to move forward, and I’m with quality people. [gave me] Encouragement to do that. ”
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At the 2022 CRI seminar, Dr. Brahmer spoke about the success of immunotherapy development, labeling it as a “new basis” for various stages of lung cancer, and more Chest cancer Like mesothelioma.
“New treatments are based on these successes,” she said. “There’s still a lot to do in these settings. We’re sure to improve the treatment.”

Dr. Julie Brahma shared in the seminar how immunotherapy has become a top treatment option in several cases of lung cancer. (istock)
Brahmer said there was “hope” for long-term control and even treatment of the disease.
“That’s very important [for patients] “Is immunotherapy correct for me, regardless of the stage and type of cancer I have?” she said.
“You must draw your hopes and courage from somewhere. Your faith was high.”
Ryan told CRI that immunotherapy represents “the attractive potential of treatments that do not contain serious side effects related to surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation,” and clinical trials say “safe and viable drugs and therapeutics.” He added that it is essential for approval.