Respiratory Virus and Measles Information

nm-motorcross-racer-celebrates-victory_feature
nm-motorcross-racer-celebrates-victory_preview
Patient Stories

Motocross Racer Celebrates Victory Over Prostate Cancer

Published August 2019

Dirt Biking Saves Dave’s Life

At 61 years old, Elburn native Dave Thomas is no stranger to broken bones and dislocations. He’s been dirt biking since he was a child and started motocross racing in the 1980s. Dave races professionally in Illinois, Iowa and Kansas, and has won several championships. He even has a dirt biking course in his backyard.

In February 2017, Dave was racing in Georgia and crashed his bike. He suffered a collapsed lung and broken ribs, but the crash actually helped save his life: His bloodwork showed that he had an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) score. Dave was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer.

Dave returned to Illinois to a local physician who told him there was nothing they could do for him at this advanced stage. Full of grit and perseverance, Dave wouldn’t accept this answer. He found Northwestern Medicine and a care team that wouldn’t accept defeat either.

Dave didn’t let cancer slow him down.
— Christopher M. George, MD

Second Gear

Dave received a second opinion from Northwestern Medicine Urologic Oncologist Edward M. Schaeffer, MD, PhD. Dr. Schaeffer performed minimally invasive surgery to remove the tumor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Dave had 30 radiation treatments at Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Delnor with Northwestern Medicine Radiation Oncologist Michael A. Stutz, MD, and received hormone therapy from Northwestern Medicine Hematologist and Medical Oncologist Christopher M. George, MD. Dave continued to ride his dirt bike during treatment.

“Dave didn’t let cancer slow him down,” says Dr. George. “We have to build the treatment plan around the patient’s lifestyle, not build the patient’s lifestyle around the treatment plan.”

Today, Dave’s PSA level is normal, and there’s no trace of cancer in his system. He continues to see Dr. George every three months for regular checkups. He’s back to racing, but with an upgrade to his bike: A Northwestern Medicine decal to remind him of everything he’s been through.

Related Services

Related Services
Cancer CareUrology
Dirt Biking Saved My Life: Dave's Story
Dirt Biking Saved My Life: Dave's Story

Dave had a collapsed lung and broken ribs, but blood work at the hospital revealed an even more serious concern.

Watch Video

You Might Also Like

Posing arm in arm in a hospital corridor, from left to right: Satish Nadig, MD, PhD, wearing a white lab coat; patient Gary Gibbon, MD in a purple sweatshirt; and Ankit Bharat, MD, in a white lab coat.
read more about California Physician Receives First Double-Lung and Liver Transplant for Advanced Lung Cancer in the U.S.

California Physician Receives First Double-Lung and Liver Transplant for Advanced Lung Cancer in the U.S.

He is now considered cancer-free.

Harry Piehl stands smiling as his dahlias bloom in his garden.
read more about A Garden Blooms Thanks to One Physician’s Kind Gesture

A Garden Blooms Thanks to One Physician’s Kind Gesture

Celebrating the Connection Between Physicians and Their Patients

A black male double organ transplant recipient sitting on a hospital bed while flexing his arm muscles next to a white male physician wearing a black jacket.
read more about A 2-Organ Transplant Helps Patient Get Back To Biking

A 2-Organ Transplant Helps Patient Get Back To Biking

In need of a liver and kidney transplant, a patient worked with his Northwestern Medicine transplant hepatologist to shift gears.