Roberto Gonzalez was diagnosed with stage 2 renal cell carcinoma in September 2020. He had a radical nephrectomy to remove his left kidney. For the next few years, scans showed no evidence of disease.

Then, in early 2025, Roberto went to the emergency room for chest pains. A CT scan showed suspicious findings. A second CT scan revealed tumors in the lymph nodes near his chest and left lung. Then he had a biopsy.

“The doctor who did the biopsy called me and told me I had stage 4 kidney cancer, and there was no cure,” recalls Roberto, who was 58 at the time. “Since my regular oncologist was on vacation, I didn’t have a plan for treatment or any answers to my questions.”

That prompted Roberto to get a second opinion at UT MD Anderson.

UT MD Anderson leaves lasting first impression

Roberto’s first appointment was on March 18 with genitourinary medical oncologist Sangeeta Goswami, M.D., Ph.D. She explained his metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma diagnosis and discussed a treatment plan.

“She used markers and drew out how the cancer starts and where it goes when it spreads,” he says. “She illustrated it in a way that was easy to understand.”

Roberto also had an appointment with his regular oncologist later that day. But he still didn’t have a definitive treatment plan for Roberto yet, and his next appointment wouldn’t be for another two months. Roberto decided to stick with UT MD Anderson.  

“Just from being in the parking lot at UT MD Anderson, I told my wife that everything seems very different here,” he recalls. “Everything was so organized. We walked in, and they had greeters to help you so you don’t get lost. They’re amazing. It’s a world of difference.”

Combination treatment for metastatic kidney cancer

Roberto started treatment on April 1. It’s a combination of targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

He takes the tyrosine kinase inhibitor axitinib twice daily in pill form and gets infusions of immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab every three weeks at UT MD Anderson. The drive isn’t too bad since he lives just north of Houston, in Humble.

The treatment has helped to shrink the tumors significantly. The plan is for him to continue the therapy.

Help managing cancer treatment side effects

He’s had some side effects like joint and back pain, tendonitis and inflammation in his gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes, he’ll have nausea, which interrupts his sleep.

Roberto visited UT MD Anderson’s Supportive Care Center and Pain Medicine to help manage his side effects. Doctors prescribed him medicine to help with nausea as well as a low dose of morphine to help with pain and allow him to sleep through the night.

Recently, Goswami shortened the frequency of the axitinib doses to ease the side effects. Roberto also gets steroid injections for joint pain.

“The side effects are just a trade-off for treatment,” he says. “I can take the pain as long as it’s shrinking the tumors.”

Enjoying life’s blessings

Roberto is a positive person who enjoys staying active and spending time with his wife and kids. He likes to travel, fish and go camping. He hasn’t let cancer stop him from living his life.

“I have a beautiful life. I’ve had my hardships, but I’ve also had a tremendous number of blessings,” says Roberto, who is thrilled about the recent birth of his first grandchild. “I don’t let the cancer diagnosis weigh on me. I know there’s a lot more for me to do in life.”

This included attending the James P. Allison Institute™ 3rd Annual Scientific Symposium on Oct. 24, 2025.

“The symposium was very informative, and I was amazed by the presentations,” he says.

It really reinforced that UT MD Anderson isn’t only the best place to get cancer care; it’s also leading the way in finding new treatments through the Allison Institute™.

Goswami is a member of the Allison Institute™ and is focused on understanding why some patients respond to immunotherapy while others do not. Her goal is to improve treatments for all patients.

“Technology and modern medicine have come a long way, and there’s science behind it,” he says. “I liked how the speakers explained how immunotherapy was discovered and what they’re doing in the lab to research it. It related to what I’m going through in my own cancer treatment.”

Roberto trusts that his care team will continue providing him with the best treatment.

“Dr. Goswami has been taking great care of me,” he says. “I trust UT MD Anderson completely. They know what they’re doing.”

Request an appointment at UT MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.