Clinical trial gives cancer patient the gift of time

July 3, 2024

Silver Darmer gained years of family time thanks to the University of Arizona Cancer Center and a combination therapy that pairs immunotherapy with targeted chemotherapy.

Image
A doctor examines a patient in an examining room. The patient is wearing a Navy ball cap.

“We had to learn to find our way using the sun, moon and stars,” said Darmer, a Navy veteran and former naval flight officer for Operation Deep Freeze.

Operation Deep Freeze began in the 1950s as a joint military mission supporting researchers on Antarctica. Silver arrived in the 1960s. His job was to get scientists where they needed to go and back safely. 

“My only point of reference was usually the sun, and I thought it was a fantastic experience. I can’t describe what it was like to see the glaciers up close,” he said. “I still don’t wear a watch, because I can tell the time by the sun’s position in the sky.” 

Read more at UAHS