The 76-year-old Aberdeen, Wash., resident was a long-time logging engineer who married his high school sweetheart, Karen. The couple have three children.
In 2017, Barkstrom's doctors discovered a malignant, or cancerous, tumor on his kidney while they were doing a CT scan for severe abdominal pain. He had surgery and was enjoying his retirement until, in early 2022, he started having difficulty swallowing.
His doctors ordered an endoscopy. However, during the procedure, the doctors could not get the tube down his esophagus and into his stomach, which they said indicated cancer.
“I figured I had two options,” Barkstrom said. “Either it would beat me, or I would beat it. From day one, I decided to kick it to the curb.”
Barkstrom asked his doctor, who was also a good friend, where he'd go if he were in the same situation.
“He recommended Fred Hutch,” Barkstrom said.
Within two weeks of his initial call to Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Barkstrom started chemotherapy and was scheduled for proton therapy.
“We had a conference call with all the doctors — the oncologists, the surgeon, and they had a treatment plan all laid out,” he said. “I would start chemo and proton therapy to shrink my tumor to make it easier and safer to remove surgically afterwards.”
His radiation oncologist, Smith Apisarnthanarax, MD, explained proton therapy was Barkstrom’s best option. It would provide the highest radiation dose to the tumor while avoiding other tissues.
Barkstrom was impressed with the precision of protons — within millimeters of the tumor.
“Mike’s case was not a straight-forward case given his prior history of COPD and bariatric surgery which made his esophagus and stomach anatomy more challenging, as well as his large, bulky tumor,” said Apisarnthanarax. “Protons are ideal for a patient like Mike to minimize radiation dose to his heart and lungs, which help decrease his chances of developing complications in the long-term, particularly after a major operation like an esophagectomy.”
“I had full trust in my doctors. My philosophy is: Make your decision, trust your medical team and go with it,” said Barkstrom.
Barkstrom called himself the “poster child for lack of nasty side effects.” He has some skin discoloration on his back, a couple of uncomfortable days following some chemotherapy sessions and suffered temporary loss of appetite.
“I would recommend Fred Hutch in a heartbeat,” he said. “I’ve never been treated so well in my life. The staff are compassionate and caring, you can tell they are invested in their work. That really helps with maintaining a positive attitude, which I believe leads to better outcomes.”
Now he’s back to fishing and his volunteer work with the Lion’s Club, Salvation Army food bank and veteran’s organizations. He loves being a grandpa and spending time with his grandchildren.
Barkstrom said he's had to make some adjustments to his eating and sleeping habits after surgery, but all in all, he's unfazed.
“What are you willing to do to continue living? You make choices and sacrifices.”
