Naples-based foundation offering free help to cancer patients

Getting a cancer diagnosis is understandably stressful, so it’s not uncommon for patients to seek a second opinion.

Now, a Naples-based foundation is offering free help, and it has provided much-needed peace of mind to a local couple.

Sharing life’s ups and downs together. It’s the key to Mike and Debbie Barnes’ long-lasting marriage of 54 years.

The last dozen years included some hefty health issues.

“My husband, Mike, has been having a struggle with skin cancer for 12 years,” Debbie Barnes said.

Squamous cell skin cancer is largely treatable, but Mike’s kept coming back, and things got worse.

“He was diagnosed with metastasis to the nerve fibers from a skin cancer on the scalp,” Debbie said.

At this point, they wanted to make sure they were doing everything right and hadn’t missed something before.

Facing cancer, it’s common for people to wonder and worry whether they are getting the right diagnosis and getting the very best treatment possible, but engaging another set of doctors can cost a lot of money and time.

Lana Uhrig is the executive director of Naples Cancer Advisors, a local non-profit that offers an independent review.

“What we do is employ expert clinicians, physicians and nurse practitioners who are specialized in various cancer diagnoses, and they evaluate the patient’s treatment plan, and help assess if that is the right thing for that patient so that the patient and the family feel like they’re on the right track, and that they’re doing the right thing,” Uhrig said.

A team worked together, poring over Mike’s medical history.

“We reviewed their entire case, from the beginning, at the time of diagnosis, all of their pathology, all of their scans; we reviewed all of their physician notes, and what the physician had proposed as their course of treatment,” said Jillian Hunt, nurse practitioner at Naples Cancer Advisors.

His case is complex and rare.

“You only have about 2% of cutaneous squamous cell cancers that will become metastatic,” Hunt said.

After re-examining everything, they delivered a dose of relief.

“Their doctor had actually recommended the right treatment plan,” Hunt said.

“He had 60 rounds of radiation therapy, and he continues to get immunotherapy every three weeks,” Debbie said.

Now, the Barnes are moving forward with confidence thanks to a network of advisors.

Naples Cancer Advisors is bringing on new physician specialists to keep up with demand, along with the founding site in Cincinnati.

This is the first-of-its-kind free second-opinion philanthropy in the country.