After receiving a serious diagnosis, one patient turned to several medical institutions in search of answers. Where other institutions saw limitations, Mayo Clinic’s interdisciplinary team saw a way forward.
When Kyle Collett was diagnosed with an advanced tumor affecting approximately 65% of his tongue, life changed overnight.
At 39 years old, he was a soon-to-be husband and a strategic finance professional.
“Like many people my age, cancer was simply not something I expected to hear,” Kyle recalls. “My days were focused on building a future with my family, staying active and planning for what was ahead.”
Before Kyle came to Mayo Clinic, the multiple medical opinions he had received had pointed toward a challenging future that included immediate major surgery, a near-total glossectomy (removal of most of the tongue), and a dramatically altered quality of life.
A different approach: Focus on what is possible
Where other institutions saw limitations, Mayo Clinic’s interdisciplinary team saw an opportunity to help.
“This was a young patient,” says Samip Patel, M.D., an otolaryngologist at Mayo Clinic and lead surgeon in Kyle’s case. “He and his fiancée were really just starting their life together when he was diagnosed with a large oral tongue cancer.”
“What was unique about this case was that we were able to pause as a multidisciplinary team and ask, ‘Is there a way to treat this cancer effectively, but also preserve as much speech, swallowing and quality of life as possible?'”
Kyle quickly recognized that this collaborative team approach meant he was where he was supposed to be for his treatment.
“When nearly every other opinion focused on what I was going to lose, Mayo Clinic focused on what might still be possible,” he says. “Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, the team took the time to evaluate my unique situation and develop an individualized treatment plan.”
Oral tongue cancers are aggressive, making cure the top priority. However, preserving the components of human identity, speech, swallowing and appearance matters tremendously.
Mayo Clinic overcame this challenge by bringing surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology and therapy teams together early in Kyle’s journey.
“Instead of feeling like I was navigating disconnected opinions, Mayo Clinic’s teams functioned as one unified group with a shared mission,” Kyle says.
Rather than immediate major surgery, Kyle’s team recommended induction systemic therapy first. This treatment approach uses full-body medications like chemotherapy or immunotherapy to shrink the tumor and target hidden cancer cells before an operation.
“He had a strong response, and that allowed us to make the surgery smaller and then deliver more targeted postoperative radiation,” Dr. Patel explains. “To me, that is the heart of personalized cancer care. The goal was to balance cure with long-term function.”
By using neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy to shrink the tumor before surgery, the team spared Kyle from losing most of his tongue.
Kyle credits Dr. Patel’s ability to explain complex medical information, alongside the commitment of the Radiation Oncology team.
Following surgery, a network of specialists, including speech, physical and lymphatic therapists, helped Kyle regain function and trained his fiancée to do Kyle’s required home care.
Today, Kyle enjoys family dinners, travel and joyous conversations about what is next in life.
“The milestone was not just that the cancer was treated,” says Dr. Patel. “It was that we were able to treat it in a way that helped protect his long-term function and quality of life. To me, that is real success, not just recovery from treatment, but recovery of life.”
Providing confidence, clarity and hope
Dr. Patel notes that for complex head and neck cases, Mayo Clinic designs treatment around the whole person, not just the tumor.
Kyle praises that approach.
“The expertise is extraordinary, but what truly sets Mayo apart is the way it combines innovation, collaboration and humanity,” he says. “During one of the most uncertain and frightening experiences of my life, Mayo Clinic gave me confidence, clarity and hope.”
