“My first experience with cancer was with my grandfather. He was undiagnosed lung cancer that had metastasized to the brain and I got a phone call that he was going into emergency surgery craniotomy and this was in 1996. They opened him up realized the magnitude and how much the spread was closing back up and he never regained consciousness and I held his hand when he passed away and it was really incredibly moving to me that science couldn't find it. He was undiagnosed. He was a lifelong smoker and it was frustrating to me that nothing could be done.”
Bo Cooke's grandfather had undiagnosed lung cancer that spread to his brain and ultimately led to his death. Cooke, who was in high tech at the time, saw an ad for a job running a Gamma Knife Center in Spokane, Washington. The Gamma Knife is a non-invasive brain surgery center that uses gamma radiation to treat tumors in a single day. Cooke and his team have been able to successfully treat hundreds of patients with brain tumors with a tumor control rate of about 93%. Cooke has become an advocate for patients seeking this treatment, and he has successfully advocated for insurance companies to cover it. Cancer continues to touch Cooke's life on a regular basis, and he has seen an increase in the number of younger patients with metastatic disease. Spokane has become a hub for cancer care, with groundbreaking research and collaboration among medical professionals. Cooke's mother also had colon cancer and was successfully treated by a leading colorectal and oncological surgeon.