When the American Keaton Herzer (35) began to suffer from abdominal pain, he assumed that he had just eaten something spoiled. But the unpleasant feeling did not disappear even after several days. He thought that maybe it could be something more serious. The father of a two-year-old son decided to seek help, which led to the discovery that he was suffering from a rare type of cancer.
- Keaton suffered from persistent abdominal pain.
- Doctors diagnosed him with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
- The experimental treatment gradually shrunk all the tumors and allowed him to undergo a liver transplant.
- He currently has no signs of cancer in his body.
Keaton from the American city of Denver started having digestive problems in the spring of 2025. Having been in the hospital several times in the past for the same reason, he thought he would only get antibiotics. “I went to the emergency room and told them I had come down with some kind of infection. I was convinced that the cause could be in the gallbladder, so they did an ultrasound of my abdomen. That’s when they saw several large masses on the liver“, he stated.
The results indicated that she was suffering from cancer, but the doctors decided to carry out further tests. Finally, he was diagnosed with stage four intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a rare type of cancer that originates in the bile ducts. “They informed me that the disease had probably spread from another place. It was terrifying to find out my liver was full of cancer“, he added.
The disturbing news shocked the young American. “I often thought about my son, who was 16 months old at the time. Fewer than two in ten people with this diagnosis survive for more than five years, so there was a good chance I wouldn’t make it. The doctors said I would be dependent on treatment for the rest of my life, using words like ‘inoperable’ and ‘incurable’“, he explained.
Despite the dire diagnosis, Keaton decided to do whatever it took to survive. He started treatment in April 2025, after three months it turned out to be ineffective, while his tumors continued to grow. “My wife and I knew we had to go all out. We looked at the biomarker results and found out that I have a rare genetic mutation called NRG1. Right then there was a targeted antibody therapy called zenocutuzumab designed to treat this particular mutation,” he noted.
The problem was that this drug was only approved for pancreatic and lung cancer at the time, so the insurance company didn’t want to reimburse them for it. “We had to pay almost 80,000 dollars for one infusion, but we were pressed for time and my goal was a transplant, so it had to work out,” admitted Keaton.
Finally, the breakthrough drug worked, thanks to which the young man’s condition improved significantly. “In September, all the tumors have shrunk, some have even completely disappeared. This changed my life because I was finally ready to be considered for a liver transplant“, he added.
In January 2026, Keaton’s doctors approved a liver transplant. His cousin Stephanie became the donor. He finally underwent the operation at the end of March and currently has no signs of cancer in his body. “It’s a huge change. Instead of a lifetime of treatment, I can now finally enjoy time with my family again“, he looks forward.
Keaton is currently spreading awareness about everything he’s been through along the way. He organized a fundraiser for the foundation Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation with the goal of raising $100,000. “The odds were against me, but now I’m extremely grateful. I want to show that a diagnosis doesn’t define a person, and whatever happens to you in life, you can handle it,” he emphasized.
After overcoming cancer, he found a new passion in hiking. “In October, I climbed a mountain more than 4,000 meters high for the first time and I fell in love with the feeling of success. I liked it very much and soon I had five such peaks to my credit. I want to go even further, so I have set a goal to climb Mount Rainier in August 2026,” concluded a determined Keaton.
