Three occurrences of mantle cell lymphoma and two clinical trials didn’t slow down Michael Humphries. Despite battling lymphoma for over 20 years, he rarely missed a day of work on his job as a machinist with Multimetco Inc. in Anniston, Ala. In fact, he didn’t fully retire until four years ago, at the age of 84.

“I’ve really led a normal life,” Humphries said. “I took a day or two off here or there for the clinical trials, but other than that I kept working.”

I have no complaints about UAB at all. They’ve given me a normal life.

Michael Humphries

Humphries originally was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma following a routine colonoscopy in 2002. He went through standard chemotherapy treatment, and the cancer went into remission. When it returned in his cheek in 2008, he entered his first clinical trial. The trial involved two treatments each month, and he went into remission again after eight months. He remained cancer-free for more than a decade before it returned in 2020, this time in his throat.

“When a cancer comes back, especially an aggressive cancer like this, your treatment options get limited, particularly in that age group,” said Amitkumar Mehta, M.D., medical director for the Clinical Trials Office at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, director of the Lymphoma Program, and the physician who treated Humphries. “You really have to pick the treatment very carefully, because as you get older, the chances of side effects get very high – especially with chemotherapy.”

Dr. Mehta encouraged Humphries to enroll in a second clinical trial, this one involving targeted therapy and next-generation immunotherapy. Now nearly a year ago, Humphries went into remission for the third time in two decades.

“Essentially, this immunotherapy engages your immune system more in fighting the cancer,” Dr. Mehta said. “In addition to the positive response, he’s had minimal to no side effects with the treatment. That is an important part of this immunotherapy. The side effects are not like with aggressive chemotherapy, and you can still have a quality of life. At this age, quality of life is the most important factor in decision-making about cancer treatment.”

Dr. Mehta says Humphries maintained a positive attitude throughout his treatment, in part by staying informed about clinical trials and approaching them with confidence rather than concern.

“He wanted all the information so he could make the best decision,” Dr. Mehta said. “He saw that there was potential for his cancer to respond to this treatment, so he went into it with optimism. He has been great. He asks all the right questions. He’s involved in his care. And the most important part, he was still working until recently. Even at his age, he kept working while in treatment. That helps give you a positive attitude overall.”

Humphries says his positive experience with UAB Medicine and the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center helped him maintain that optimism.

“Dr. Mehta and the nurses who gave me the treatment have all been very good,” Humphries said. “I have no complaints about UAB at all. They’ve given me a normal life.”