Kicking Cancer in His Cowboy Boots

Monte Bona was "raised to be a cowboy." Born in Payson, Utah, he grew up in a small farming community with his parents and five siblings. "My dad was a horse trader and I had my first pair of cowboy boots when I was probably three years old," he says. Beyond the boots, Monte exemplifies other aspects of a traditional cowboy: self-reliance and individualism, with the ability to dust himself off when times get tough and get right back in the saddle.

In March 2009 at the age of 71, he had a health check-up which included blood work. He received a clean bill of health. Everything looked good. Only a month later, Monte noticed a lump in his groin and visited his doctor. His doctor suspected it might be an aneurysm, but a biopsy confirmed follicular lymphoma—stage I grade 3, the earliest stage a cancer can be found, but a grade showing an aggressive form of the disease.

"Other than a lump, I had no symptoms," Monte says. "I didn’t panic because even though they told me I had cancer, I hadn’t been sick. It wasn’t until later that I realized how serious it was."

Follicular lymphoma is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma—cancers of the immune system that begin in white blood cells called lymphocytes. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas can be fast- or slow-growing and develop from either B-cells, as in follicular lymphoma, or T-cells. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is also a recognized "downwinder" cancer—one that may result from exposure to radiation released into the atmosphere during the Nevada nuclear tests in the 1950s and ’60s. Monte suspects his cancer is connected to being a downwinder.

After being referred to Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI), Monte met with Martha Glenn, MD, oncologist at HCI and professor in the Division of Hematology at the University of Utah. "When I asked what would happen if I didn’t treat the cancer, I was told I’d have three months to a year to live," Monte explains. With the encouraging news that his stage and grade of follicular lymphoma typically responded very well to treatment (not to mention the insistence of his wife and grown children), Monte opted in. He had a two-month regimen of chemotherapy followed by a month of daily radiation.

Other than losing his hair (his salt-and-pepper grew back thicker, curly, and silver) and occasional bouts of tiredness and nausea, Monte’s treatment went well. He believes proactive nutrition played a role, along with being in good physical shape, taking vitamins, and regular health check-ups. In addition, he says, "I felt I really lucked out. I had the benefit of early detection."