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“Dr. Weinstein is a wonderfully confident surgeon, but he is also a tremendously caring person. During our first meeting he put his hand on my shoulder and said he would make things better—and he certainly did.”- John Mills

John Mills with Dr. Weinstein

John Mills was raised to believe that life is an adventure, and that as long as he was dedicated to his goals, he could do anything. Little did he know, one day he would need to apply these life lessons towards beating cancer.

In February 2013, Mr. Mills was diagnosed with a malignancy under his right jaw bone. He was told it was advanced and very serious—and that he needed to consider getting his affairs in order.

But a glimmer of hope arose when his diagnosing Ear, Nose, and Throat physician, as well as several close friends, recommended he see Gregory S. Weinstein, MD, FASC, Co-Director of the Center for Head and Neck Cancer at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center (ACC).

“Those first few months after I was diagnosed, and before I found Penn, were incredibly difficult,” Mr. Mills said. “But my walk out of Dr. Weinstein’s office, where he told me the chances of my cancer returning after surgery was 18 percent was one of the best moments of my life. With every step, I went from desperation to hope.”

The promise of a pioneering surgery

The source of Mr. Mills’ reversal of fortune? TransOral Robotic Surgery (TORS), the revolutionary minimally invasive surgery utilizing the Da Vinci® robotic surgical system that was developed by Dr. Weinstein and Dr. Bert O’Malley at Penn Medicine.

The TORS surgical approach uses a robotic device to remove previously un-reachable tumors of the mouth, voice box, tonsil, tongue, and other parts of the throat – which for many years was only performed by radical surgery that left patients with serious long-term problems – difficulty swallowing, talking and eating. The surgery reduces healing time, and significantly improves patients’ quality of life.

Now, almost a decade after the program was established at Penn, the vast majority of surgeons who have established TORS programs in the United States were trained by Drs. O'Malley and Weinstein.

“Drs. Weinstein and O’Malley aren’t just surgical mavericks, they are wonderfully kind human beings,” Mr. Mills stressed. “Their dedication and skill are matched only by their humanity and personability.”

Almost a year after his surgery, Mr. Mills’ prognosis for his cancer returning is at almost zero percent.

“If we all helped each other, the world would be a better place.”

Before his diagnosis, Mr. Mills had never been to Penn, and found the ACC to be a place filled with dedicated people, very deserving of any help he could give.

“Something magical is happening at the Abramson Cancer Center,” Mr. Mills reflects. “From the gentlemen who park your car to the nurses and social workers who guide you through your journey to the surgeons who operate on you, the positivity and collegiality that lives here is powerful medicine.”

Recognizing that his revolutionary surgery would not have been possible without the generosity of people before him, Mr. Mills believes that a monetary donation would be the best way to show his appreciation.

His generous gift will allow his medical team to give patients the same treatment, and hope, he benefited from.

“There were no better words than hearing 'no cancer.' But my road to recovery was a long one that I found both physically and mentally challenging. It takes a lot of work to get well and I want to make it easier for someone else. By giving back, I hope I can make a small difference.”

For more information on how to support TORS or the Center for Head and Neck Cancer please contact Caitlin Crowe at ccrowe@upenn.edu or (215) 746-2167.

Make a gift to the Abramson Cancer Center here.