News

Actions

Sulphur’s Dak Prescott talks to KATC about beating cancer

Posted at 4:57 PM, Jun 25, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-25 17:57:20-04

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is all too familiar with the devastating effects of cancer having lost his mother to stage 4 colon cancer in 2013. Now the Louisiana native is trying to get the word out about a new form of cancer treatment that’s changing the way doctor’s and patients fight the disease.

Ready. Raise. Rise is in its second year of advocacy by Bristol Meyers Squibb. It’s designed to educate people about the potential benefits of immuno-oncology. An innovative approach to fighting cancer that uses the body’s own immune system to fight the disease.

"I think when most people think of cancer they immediately think of chemotherapy," said Dr. Morganna Freeman of City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center. "And with immune therapy, that’s actually starting to take the place of chemo in many cancer cases," she said.

Freeman says the body’s immune system is designed to protect us from infections but says it turns out it’s also designed to protect us from cancer.

"So what these therapy’s do is harness the body’s own ability to defend itself and us the immune system to fight that cancer off," said Freeman

Prescott lost his mother to stage 4 colon cancer in 2013 but says creating awareness about immune-therapy is his way to honor her memory.

"It’s a chance for me to honor my mother," said Prescott via satellite from New York. "To let her be my story," he said. "When she was diagnosed she said all greats have a story. Allow me to be your story. That’s why it’s so important to me to be able to help other people out there that may be dealing with what I dealt with."