Former Philly policeman is beating cancer thanks to his Nazareth Hospital oncology team

Joseph Johnston knew something was wrong when he woke up one day this past April with a sore throat like he had never experienced before. His concerns only grew when he looked in the mirror and saw a lump on his neck.

Johnston, a 77-year-old Philadelphia resident, went straight to the Nazareth Hospital emergency department to figure out what was going on. After a CAT scan and blood test, he was referred to Helen Yoo Bowne, MD, an otolaryngologist with Nazareth ENT Associates.

A few days after the ER visit, Johnston was seen by Dr. Yoo Bowne, who performed a biopsy of the swollen lymph nodes in neck. The biopsy indicated the presence of cancer, and Dr. Yoo Bowne immediately began preparing Johnston for the road ahead.

“She told me to get ready and walked me through all the steps that would be involved in my treatment,” Johnston recalled. “It put me at ease.”

Following that initial visit with Dr. Yoo Bowne, additional tests confirmed a diagnosis of head and neck cancer, and Johnston quickly embarked on a whirlwind journey of appointments and procedures, with his wife Marie close at his side every step of the way.

While overwhelming at times, the Johnstons appreciated how detailed, organized and accurate Joseph’s care plan was, which would include radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

“They were perfect,” Joseph said of the team at Nazareth Hospital. “Everything they said would happen, happened. They were very responsive, very knowledgeable, and kept a close eye on me along the way, making adjustments whenever it was necessary.”

Johnston’s expert providers included radiation oncologist Aruna Turaka, MD, gastroenterologist Mark Codella, MD, and hematologist/oncologist Maged Khoory, MD, along with an entire team of nurses and support staff.

“The doctors and nurses were great, and our social worker was excellent,” Marie Johnston said. “They supported us on everything, from making appointments to securing financial assistance, which was a huge help since some of the medication was expensive.”

The Johnstons couldn’t have been more pleased with the care Joseph received at Nazareth Hospital.

“They were perfect. They were very responsive, very knowledgeable, and kept a close eye on me along the way, making adjustments whenever it was necessary.” — Joe Johnston

Then, three months after Johnston’s treatment began, blood work showed that everything was working as planned—he was beating the cancer.

“They were very pleased with it, and so was I,” Joseph Johnston said of the test results.

And the good news couldn’t have come at a better time, as an important date was right around the corner.

A softball player since his time as an officer with the Philadelphia Police Department, Johnston serves as the pitcher and coach for the Heat, a team in the Philadelphia Senior Softball League. Thanks to the care he received at Nazareth Hospital, Johnston was back on the field with his teammates for the best-of-three championship series in the 70-and-over division, held in October.

The Heat swept their opponents the Graysox, taking the series in two games. The championship win gave Joseph and Marie another reason to celebrate.

Now, Johnston is enjoying the return of normalcy to his life and looking ahead to next season with the Heat.

Learn more about about cancer care at Nazareth.