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A retired firefighter takes on the battle of a lifetime with the support of VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, reminding others that there’s hope “even in your darkest moments.”

Greg Leitz is no stranger to battling adverse circumstances.

He fought hundreds of fires during his 20-year tenure with the Spotsylvania County Fire Department. As an EMT, he fights against time to ensure patients get the emergency care they desperately need.

Greg Leitz served with the Spotsylvania County Fire Department for 20 years. (Contributed photo)

Leitz has also endured personal battles. In 2013, he suffered a stroke and fought his way to recovery with the help of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at VCU Medical Center.

But the most recent challenge facing this 55-year-old is one that was revealed during a routine screening offered to retired firefighters. When tests came back showing thickening around the bladder wall, Leitz’s urologist recommended more testing and biopsies.

The official diagnosis came on January 4, 2024: Gleason 9 prostate cancer, an aggressive form of cancer that had spread to his pelvis and one thoracic vertebra.

“When I first learned of the diagnosis, I was angry. I was so angry – mentally and spiritually. It's probably the angriest I've ever been in my life,” Leitz said. “I went outside and balled up my fists and as I started to raise them over my head, I stopped. And instead of feeling anger, I said, ‘thank you.’ And that has been my attitude toward this ever since: one of blessing and one of hope.”

He isn’t alone in his cancer diagnosis. Cancer is the leading cause of death among firefighters, and research suggests firefighters are at higher risk of certain types of cancers due to exposure to different chemicals while battling fires.

Recognizing the strong support system he had in the firehouse and from VCU Health, Leitz knew where to turn during this critical moment. He wasn’t going to fight this battle alone.

“My faith keeps me going,” Leitz explained. “I have hope and faith in my doctors, in the facility. I know what they did for me when I first came here when I had my stroke and I’m confident in the care they are providing for me now."

Connecting with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network and Massey

After telling his family about the diagnosis, Leitz’s next call was to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN), an organization that provides support and resources for firefighters and EMS providers who are battling cancer.

VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center ranked among the top 4% in the country, is a partner of the FCSN and collaborates with them to provide medical care and cancer treatments to firefighters, in addition to a joint research initiative to mitigate cancer risk among Virginia firefighters.

The FCSN advocate immediately connected Leitz to a nurse navigator at Massey.

“I got three phone calls back the day I made that first call,” he said. “Two of them were about medical records and the third was to schedule my appointment. Things moved fast. I don't know if I would have been able to get seen anywhere else that quickly if it wasn’t for the relationship that Massey has with the FCSN.”

Once at Massey, Leitz met Alfredo Urdaneta, M.D., a radiation oncologist.

“The first time I heard about Greg’s case was through our multidisciplinary clinic,” Urdaneta said. “His case was brought forward by our colleague, Dr. John Melson, who wanted the group to discuss the best path forward for Greg.”

Melson, a medical oncologist, and Urdaneta are part of a multidisciplinary clinic with a team of doctors representing at least 10 different specialty areas throughout Massey. They meet weekly to discuss the best approach for patient care. During these discussions, they review each patient’s case and diagnostic material.

In Leitz’s case, the team reviewed his pathology with the pathologist and his radiographs with a radiologist. They also had a geneticist there, who recommends whether genetic testing would be needed.

“This multidisciplinary clinic is unique because the decision of how to take care of that patient comes from a group, and not just from an individual physician,” Urdaneta said. “That’s part of what makes Massey so special.”

The team agreed that an aggressive approach to treat Leitz’s cancer would be the best route forward.

"Since he was young and healthy overall, we decided an aggressive approach was appropriate," Urdaneta recalled.

Leitz's treatment involved complete androgen blockade and radiation therapy to both the primary and metastatic sites using stereotactic radiation. This focused radiation aims to improve long-term control of the cancer and potentially achieve a cure.

Finding a home away from home for patients in need

The more aggressive plan also meant that Leitz would be drained – both mentally and physically – following his treatments.

He lives more than 70 miles from VCU Medical Center. Traveling to and from his home would mean driving over 140 miles roundtrip, Monday through Friday, for four weeks.

Leitz’s treatment plan involved an external form of radiation therapy called stereotactic radiation. (Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

“My doctors told me that one of the things they say that's essential to getting through this is getting rest,” Leitz said. “So when they told me about The Doorways, I immediately looked into it and reached out to them.”

The Doorways is a nonprofit and privately-run organization dedicated to offering accommodations for little or no cost to patients, their families and caregivers that need to be close to VCU Medical Center, and other area partners, prior to, during or after medical treatment.

Having the option to stay at The Doorways provided Leitz with more than just a place to rest his head. It’s also provided him with a sense of community, rejuvenating his faith and hope during this difficult time.

“I've had several bad days where I haven't felt well,” he said. “Walking down the hallway or the elevator, I'll run into somebody that's having a bad day, too. And we've been able to talk and I've been able to pray with them or they have prayed for me. Every time I try to get angry at my situation, something is placed there, where it just solidifies my faith even more.”

Inspiring others with his unrelenting hope

Hope and faith are what keeps Leitz going – they’re also what stands out to everyone he meets.

“Greg is just an outstanding human being. You can ask all of our staff here – everyone is in love with him,” Urdaneta said. “He is the epitome of unrelenting hope. It’s something that he transmits and emanates because he loves life and he loves to live. And it makes sense that he's dedicated his life to being a firefighter – to saving lives.”

From volunteering at community events to serving as a firefighter and EMT, Leitz’s hopeful spirit inspires others wherever he goes. (Contributed photo)

Leitz carried this hopeful, fighting spirit with him from the very start of his appointments to when he ended his last day of treatment with the ringing of the bell.

Ringing the bell signifies the end of radiation or chemotherapy treatment and has become a symbolic gesture of hope for cancer patients around the world.

He was excited to take part in this tradition at Massey. But he also had something else planned. Waiting for him outside of his last appointment was a fire truck from his unit. More than 30 firefighters, EMS providers and members of his care team – the people who he has brought hope to – were there to cheer him on as he rang the big bell on the fire truck.

“I just want to let everybody know that that bell signifies hope and I’m going to ring it loud and all the way to the interstate to let everyone know that there is hope,” Leitz said. “Even in your darkest moment, there's hope.”

Massey’s continued commitment to support firefighters statewide

In 2022, Massey, along with FCSN and other partners, launched the Virginia Firefighters for Lifelong Health registry, a mobile app and web portal survey that serves to better understand the health needs of firefighters and identify better strategies for providing education and prevention materials to men and women in the fire service.

“At Massey, we are as concerned about cancer prevention as we are trying to find the right drugs to treat cancer,” explained Bernard Fuemmeler, Ph.D., M.P.H., the associate director for population sciences at Massey, who was instrumental in the creation of this registry. “We are proud to partner with our Virginia firefighters, learn more about their experiences and help provide solutions to reduce cancer among this high-risk occupational group. When we have an emergency, firefighters respond immediately, and we at Massey want to do the same for them.”

Additionally, VCU holds the Johnny Thomas Firefighter Cancer Research Fund in honor of a Prince William County firefighter who died from lung cancer. The fund serves to support research to prevent cancer among firefighters with the hope of reducing the high rates of cancer seen among the firefighter service.

This article was originally published on the VCU Health website.

Written by: Danielle Pierce