Gerard “Gerry” Spencer is a U.S. Air Force Veteran whose story sits at the intersection of military service, environmental exposure, and Veteran lung cancer—and whose journey makes the case for biomarker testing more powerfully than almost any other. By the time he was diagnosed with lung cancer, it was already his second cancer diagnosis. It would not be his last. In total, Gerry has been diagnosed with five primary cancers, along with surviving a major heart attack in between. That reality, he says, has shaped how he views cancer, survival, and life itself.
Where It All Started
Gerry’s first cancer diagnosis was prostate cancer, which was treated surgically with a full recovery. Several years later, in 2017, at age 72, he developed a persistent but mild cough. It didn’t seem alarming, but after an X-ray and subsequent PET scan, doctors confirmed the diagnosis: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Initial testing focused on whether he was physically strong enough to withstand surgery. Frustrated by delays and concerned about the cancer’s growth, he sought care at a teaching hospital on the East Coast, where he underwent a lobectomy—a surgery to remove a lobe of the lung. At first, surgeons believed the cancer had not spread to the lymph nodes, but more extensive pathology later revealed involvement in several nearby nodes. As a result, his lung cancer was staged as Stage 3A or 3B.
Following surgery, he returned to his home state for chemotherapy and radiation. The treatment was difficult, made worse by severe side effects from the steroids. Once the medication combination was adjusted, he was better able to tolerate and continue with treatment. The experience was arduous—but effective. Since completing treatment, Gerry has had no recurrence of lung cancer and remains NED (no evidence of disease).
Routine follow-up scans initially occurred every three months, then every six months. In 2020, however, his medical journey took another unexpected turn. He suffered a major heart attack, and just six months later, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Treatment included chemotherapy before and after surgery, followed by radiation. Today, he undergoes annual imaging and is approaching the five-year mark since his pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
Living With Multiple Cancers
In addition to prostate, lung, and pancreatic cancer, Gerry has also been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma—described by his physicians as indolent and slow-growing. At present, it is being managed through watchful waiting, with treatment only if the disease progresses. He has also had skin cancer, which he considers minor in comparison to the others.
Despite the number of diagnoses, he feels physically well.
“I’ve felt fine before every diagnosis. And I feel fine now.”
Looking for Answers
Concerned by the rarity of developing multiple primary cancers, his brother—a physician—encouraged biomarker and next-generation sequencing testing. Biomarker testing identifies specific genetic changes in a tumor that can reveal why a cancer developed and what treatments may work best. Testing of Gerry’s pancreatic tumor revealed multiple somatic gene mutations—changes that developed during his lifetime rather than being inherited.
That discovery led him to look back at his past.
During his service in the U.S. Air Force, Gerry was stationed in Northern Maine at a nuclear bomber base during the Cold War. Part of his job required entering a highly restricted area—later identified as part of the Munitions Maintenance Squadron, responsible for maintaining nuclear weapons. Decades later, through careful research, he uncovered a 1992 congressional report documenting plutonium contamination that the government had covered up.
Gerry believes his exposure to plutonium likely played a role in the genetic damage that contributed to his cancers, though he acknowledges that certainty is impossible. Though encouraged to pursue care through the VA, he chose to remain with his established medical team while ensuring his service-related history was fully documented.
Telling His Story
Today, Gerry is not undergoing active cancer treatment. His health is stable. His scans continue. And he is finishing the final edits on a memoir titled Surviving Five Cancers, which explores what it means to move through the world carrying invisible histories—of illness, survival, and resilience. Set to be published in late Spring/early Summer 2026 and available on Amazon, all proceeds will go to the institutions that saved his life.
To those who meet him, his story is often surprising.
“People look at me and say, ‘No way you’ve had all that,'” he says. “But I have.”
And for now, he is living fully—feeling well, watching closely, and moving forward.
Still Standing Strong
Through everything he has faced, Gerry Spencer remains deeply grateful for the advances in lung cancer research, treatment, and survivorship care that made his outcome possible. His story is a powerful reminder of why Veteran lung cancer awareness and biomarker testing matter—for Veterans who served in environments where exposures were hidden, denied, or simply unknown, and for anyone who has ever been told their symptoms weren’t worth a second look.
Gerry hopes his experience highlights the critical importance of understanding environmental and occupational exposures, particularly for Veterans who may have been unknowingly put at risk. He believes in transparency, long-term monitoring, and the power of patient stories to drive progress. By sharing his journey, he hopes to encourage continued investment in lung cancer research—and to remind every newly diagnosed patient that survivorship is possible, even after the most unlikely and complex diagnoses. When Veterans with lung cancer have access to biomarker testing and expert care, the outcome can be extraordinary. Gerry Spencer is proof.
I’m using my lungs to advocate
As a member of LCFA’s Speakers Bureau, I’m advocating for research and raising awareness through the media, embodying hope and action.
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