Retired Marshfield Respiratory Therapist Is Cancer Survivor:
Dan Donovan Is Breathing More Easily Following Radiation Therapy at Commonwealth Atrius Cancer Center

Dan Donovan

Dan Donovan of Marshfield, a 70-year-old retired respiratory therapist and pulmonary specialist, has survived a kidney transplant, a triple bypass, and multiple bouts of cancer. But thanks to a positive attitude and “exceptional medical care,” he’s breathing a little easier now that he is cancer-free.

Dan, who recently received radiation treatment at Commonwealth Atrius Cancer Center in Weymouth, says he has a pretty good perspective about medical care after working at three hospitals and being a patient for so long. “Over the years, I’ve had hundreds of appointments at hospitals, most of them at medical centers downtown,” says Dan. “And the care I received here at Commonwealth Atrius is second to none.”

Dan didn’t know much about Commonwealth Atrius before he started his radiation treatments with Claire Y. Fung, MD, Director of Radiation Oncology. “I didn’t realize that our local Cancer Center has award-winning doctors like Dr. Fung as well as the most advanced technology around,” says Dan. “But what impressed me the most is the personal care. At major medical centers, you often feel like a number. Here, I feel right at home. My doctor actually hugs me!”

Dan, who holds an MBA and a Certificate in Respiratory Therapy, was in good health throughout most of his life until his kidneys started to fail in 2001. Before then, the father of two sons and grandfather focused on his career in healthcare.

From 1965 to 1985, he ran the acute care Respiratory Therapy Department at Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton. In 1985, he and a partner founded a medical software company and developed an electronic medical records program. From 1990 to 1992, he worked at AtlanticCare in Lynn, where he directed managed care. His next stop was New England Sinai in Stoughton, where he was a pulmonary specialist from 1992 through 1996.

From Provider to Patient

Dan’s first of many medical scares came when he was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease. He started dialysis, receiving treatments three days a week. After 18 months, a relatively short time to find the perfect donor match, Dan received a kidney transplant. Several years later, however, the donor kidney failed, and Dan resumed dialysis treatments.

Dan knew that a side-effect of dialysis is a weakened immune system, but he didn’t anticipate the challenges he was soon to face. In 2004, he developed the first of what would be numerous lesions on his face, neck, and arms. The official diagnosis was squamous cell skin cancer, which required numerous surgeries. He was also prescribed radiation treatment at a downtown Boston hospital. Dan didn’t realize it at the time, but this would be the first of several occasions when he would need radiation treatment, which is typically administered five days a week for five to seven weeks.

Dan recalls that his wife, Joan, drove him into Boston from their home in Marshfield for his treatments: “It was a sacrifice for Joan, since she had to take off from her job as a software engineer. The time and traffic took their toll…and, although it might seem insignificant, what also irked me was that we had to pay for parking.”

In 2007, Dan had another surgery for a skin cancer on his forehead. Shortly after the cancer was removed, it came back in the parotid gland (a major salivary gland) on the side of his face. Just as he was preparing for another cancer operation, he suffered a major setback: He had a heart attack that resulted in triple bypass surgery.

When he barely regained his strength after cardiac surgery, he braced himself for the parotid surgery. This operation was daunting as it required removal of not only the parotid gland but also the facial nerve and grafting of a nerve from his leg. Dan, who was left with one side of his face paralyzed, was then informed he would need another round of radiation treatments.

Close to Home

“I’ve never felt sorry for myself, and I’ve always taken things in stride,” says Dan. “But as I faced more radiation therapy, I was tired. So I asked my doctors about radiation treatment close to where I live. They were quick to refer me to a specialist they said was among the best—Dr. Claire Fung at Commonwealth Atrius Cancer Center in Weymouth.”

Dan wasn’t sure what to expect at Commonwealth Atrius, but he was immediately impressed: “From the front desk to the nurses to the technicians, and of course Dr. Fung, everyone is very professional and very efficient. The clinical care is excellent. And as far as the technology, the precisely targeted IMRT (Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy) is as advanced as the downtown medical centers.”

He continues, “But what really stands out is that they make you feel completely at home. I’ve been on both sides of medical care, I understand what patients want, and I appreciate the importance of state-of-the-art equipment. Still, technology can’t take the place of compassion. At the end of the day, I’m a patient, and like anyone else, I need someone I can believe in.”

Dan now believes that community medical care can be as effective as downtown care. “I’ve lived and worked on the South Shore my entire life, having been born in Quincy and brought up in Dorchester,” he says. “I know healthcare, but I didn’t know that Commonwealth Atrius Cancer Center is world-class. How great is it that we have a facility like this Cancer Center in our own backyard?”

Today, after completing his radiation treatments at Commonwealth Atrius Cancer Center, Dan is feeling a little stronger: His nerve grafts are slowly regenerating, he is down to two dialysis treatments a week, and, best of all, his last MRI revealed that he is cancer-free in the parotid area.

What has gotten Dan through this journey? “First, there’s my wife,” he says. “In some ways, this has been harder on her than me. And then there are the outstanding caregivers. Thanks to Dr. Fung and her staff, I can breathe more easily and get on with my life.”

Commonwealth Atrius Cancer Center is a collaboration between Commonwealth Hematology-Oncology and Atrius Health. Dr. Claire Fung serves as Medical Director of Radiation Oncology for Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, an affiliate of Atrius Health.