The Ride Of His Life: When A Young Cancer Drug Company Executive Gets Cancer

As a journalist and three-time cancer survivor, I’ve met many kind, dedicated people in the cancer pharmaceutical industry. The folks I’ve encountered in this arena have demonstrated real empathy and compassion. They do their best to understand what it’s like to have cancer.

But as a patient advocate, I respectfully tell virtually everyone I meet that there is no way to fully understand what it’s like to have cancer until it happens to you. When you hear those chilling words, “You have cancer,” it invariably and immediately changes your perspective on work, health and life. 

In March of last year, Drew Adams, a young executive at Bristol Myers Squibb, the global pharmaceutical company, found an unusual lump in his testicle and was referred for an ultrasound by his primary care physician.

Drew, who was just 31 at the time, was confident that it was nothing serious. But unfortunately it turned out to be testicular cancer. And Drew didn’t have much time to contemplate his situation. He received the cancer diagnosis on a Wednesday. By the following Monday he was in surgery having the testicle removed.

Needless to say, it was an emotional time for Drew, a very bright, intuitive and sensitive young man. After he was diagnosed he just stopped everything to contemplate his situation. “To take inventory,” he says.

The most difficult part of having cancer for Drew was the fact that it happened during the Covid-19 pandemic and he was not allowed to bring his wife, Rosie Adams, to the hospital with him. 

As a young husband, Drew also faced the inevitable discussion of having children. Would that no longer be possible? 

“My wife and I were approaching having kids, and we needed to have that conversation,” Drew told me. “Will we still be able to have children? If the cancer comes back, will she still want to have kids with me? Do I want my wife to raise a child if I'm not around?"

So many questions come to mind when you're told you have cancer. For Drew, it was tough to describe all the complicated things he was feeling. "I would wake up in the middle of the night, crying," he said.

That is an utterly normal response to receiving a cancer diagnosis at any age, but especially for someone whose life was just beginning. Drew leaned on Rosie to help him sort through it all. 

“I would not have been able to do it without her,” said Drew, whose job at BMS was ironically to find the best doctors in the world. 

"I had all the data analytic tools. But it was still terrifying,” he said. “Things like songs just set me off during that time. But I think what stood out to me the most was the fact that my wife could not come to the hospital with me. But she was an emotional rock for me.”

Thanks to advancements in cancer research and surgical techniques, doctors were able to identify and remove the cancerous areas in a single procedure. Drew is now in remission and continues monitoring through periodic blood tests, x-rays and CT scans. 

And yes, he is still able to start that family. 

While cancer may be done with Drew, Drew isn’t done with cancer. He is more determined than ever to help other cancer patients get through it. His cancer experience has given him an even deeper understanding and appreciation of what it’s really like to be a young adult cancer patient. 

And it's inspired him to become a vocal advocate for self-examinations and early cancer detection. He wants people to know how important it is to get checked so that if there is cancer in your body, you can detect it early and get on with your life.

As Drew and I talked the other day, a bond developed between us. I was just three years older than Drew when I was diagnosed with cancer. I know how he must have felt to get that diagnosis.

There is a strong bond among young adult cancer patients. Perhaps because they are old enough to understand the seriousness of the diagnosis, but also because it is the last thing you could imagine happening to you at this age.

The brotherhood/sisterhood among teens and young adults with cancer is something I have not witnessed anywhere else but among those who’ve served in combat.

Drew is deeply grateful that his cancer fight is over. Hopefully forever. More than ever, he appreciates his family, his doctors, his friends and his co-workers. He wants to keep giving back to others who are still in the fight. He especially wants to honor his uncles, one who died from brain cancer and another who died of liver cancer. One of his uncles passed away with his second child still in the womb.

 
Drew is focused on supporting new cancer research. Next week, he will be riding alongside more than 126 of his BMS colleagues on the Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer (C2C4C) bike ride, a poignant and powerful annual three-week cross-country cycling event to raise funds for the V Foundation.

The V Foundation is of course the acclaimed non-profit organization that honors the life and the courage of Jim Valvano, the legendary North Carolina State basketball coach who after being diagnosed with cancer gave so much back to the community and inspired the world with his fierce optimism.

Valvano happens to be one of my personal heroes. And the V Foundation is a leader in supporting groundbreaking new science. Inspired by his own work mates, and by Valvano’s life story, Drew will be kicking off the event by riding in the first leg, Cannon Beach to Bend, Oregon, where he’ll be covering up to 80 miles per day for three days.

As someone who lives with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, which affects his shoulders and ability to do activities, Drew has worked hard these the last five months of training to get in shape for this ride.

BMS employees have volunteered their personal time to fundraise and extensively train for five months aspiring to raise $1 million and hopefully more in support of the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

“The ride kicks off September 7, my section ends on September 9. It’s 225 miles in three days,” Drew explained. “I get a beautiful segment in Oregon. Our goal for the ride is raise $1 million for the V Foundation."

Some of the riders in the C2C4Chave been diagnosed with cancer, Drew said, while others are riding in honor of loved ones affected by the disease. 

Nine teams are participating in this year’s ride, which begins Sept. 7 in Cannon Beach, Oregon and concludes on October 3 in Long Branch, New Jersey. Money raised will be matched dollar-for-dollar by BMS up to the $500,000 maximum donation.

Since 2014, the ride has raised more than $9.83 million for cancer research, with more than 760 Bristol Myers Squibb employees taking part in this epic and emotional event.

Shane Jacobson, Chief Executive Officer of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, told me that that the V Foundation partnership with Bristol Myers Squibb has positively developed over the past decade.

“In addition to the significant charitable contributions, riders offer such a wellspring of enthusiasm and drive, which is an energizing experience to be a part of," Jacobson said. "I’m looking forward to the chance to visit riders once again along the route to hear their stories and to draw new inspiration for the work we do. “

Jacobson noted that one in two men and one in three women will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime.

“As Drew says, the experience can be hard to fathom if you haven’t experienced it,” Jacobson said. “Along with the cancer patient, there are also caretakers and loved ones who are thrust into the journey. We believe our mission resonates so universally because we’re aiming to achieve victory over cancer for everyone involved. Our goal is to fund game-changing research to deliver new cures and save lives. We won’t stop working until we achieve this goal.”

Jacobson said the V Foundation is committed to awarding grants to the most innovative and promising cancer research projects.

 
“Our Scientific Advisory Committee, comprised of leading cancer experts nationwide, identify novel and cutting-edge ideas that hold great promise for gaining new knowledge about the basic science of cancer, improving treatment options, and preventing recurrences,” he said.

“By directly funding all-star scientists, we are able to invest in multiple discoveries that provide for a better understanding of the disease as a whole and more targeted treatment options.”

Meanwhile, Drew's "new life" has just begun. Now 33, he is still a proud employee at BMS, and he and his wife are excited about having children and living every day with gratitude and love.

As he looks forward to the big bike ride, he knows that the funds raised for the V Foundation will make a difference in the lives of others. He's riding for a future in which more people can celebrate their health and enjoy more time with the people they love.

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This is another in our series of stories about teens and young adults with cancer, supported by Seagen and Teen Cancer America.