Sarasota Patient Finds Care Closer to Home at Moffitt at SouthShore
When Robert Williams was diagnosed with cancer in 2022, he was told he had a tumor the size of a golf ball inside his bladder.
After his diagnosis, Williams was on a waitlist to receive Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy, which his doctor recommended.
BCG is a type of immunotherapy commonly used for patients diagnosed with early stage bladder cancer. Over the years, there has been a shortage of the drug in the U.S.
As time passed and his concerns grew, a close friend recommended Williams visit Moffitt Cancer Center. “Moffitt had immediate access to the immunotherapy treatments I needed,” Williams said.
Roger Li, MD
After finishing the BCG therapy, his cancer returned. Williams’ doctor, Roger Li, MD, was determined to preserve his bladder while also preventing another recurrence.
Li had Williams begin monthly infusions of gemcitabine and docetaxel, chemotherapy drugs that are delivered directly to the bladder through a soft catheter instead of orally or intravenously.
“Preserving the bladder is the overall goal, but in order to achieve that, we have to give repeated cycles of these treatments inside of the bladder,” Li said.
For 18 months, Williams traveled from Sarasota to the cancer center’s Magnolia campus at the University of South Florida for his treatments. One way, it was at least an hour drive. Now, he visits Moffitt’s recently opened SouthShore campus.
“I live about 65 miles south of Tampa, so I was happy when they announced the new facility would be opening in Ruskin because it is closer to home,” Williams said.
When doors opened last month, he was among the first patients to receive treatments at the new facility. It’s expected to serve around 9,000 patients within the first five years.
“Having SouthShore open is beneficial because it is more accessible for some of our patients who need to get these frequent infusions,” Li said. “It also offloads the clinical volume from the Magnolia campus, helping us continue to provide lifesaving treatments to people all over the Tampa Bay area.”
