Bob Fortin: Spending Quality Time With His Granddaughter, Thanks to a Clinical Trial

Bob Fortin had built a full life in Goffstown, New Hampshire. At 56, he was a husband of 37 years, a father of two, and a successful business owner for over 15 years. Life was structured, steady—until, in July 2022, when everything changed.

Bob began experiencing persistent digestive issues. At first, he chalked it up to stress; his daughter was soon to be married. But his condition worsened. “I wasn’t digesting my food properly,” he recalled. “Things kept escalating.” Repeated visits to his doctor yielded temporary solutions—antacids, antibiotics—but nothing worked for long. Finally, frustrated and insistent, Bob demanded deeper testing.

Bloodwork revealed extremely high liver enzymes. A referral to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center led to further imaging and a biopsy. On the eve of his 57th birthday, Bob received the daunting diagnosis: pancreatic cancer. He was alone when the call came. “I preferred it that way,” he said. “It gave me space to take it in.”

The news devastated his family. “My wife, my kids—we were all a mess,” he recalled. “You Google pancreatic cancer, and it doesn’t give you much hope.”

Despite the grim reputation of pancreatic cancer, Bob’s doctors initially offered optimism. His tumor was resectable, and he embarked on a rigorous treatment plan. From November 2022 to May 2023, he underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy, intensive radiation, followed by a Whipple procedure, a major surgery to remove the tumor.

After the surgery, which was followed by more chemotherapy, Bob entered what seemed like a hopeful remission. Routine scans every 8 weeks showed the cancer had not spread. He returned to golf, yard work, and time with his infant granddaughter. But by July 2024, a scan revealed new lesions in his liver. The cancer had returned and had metastasized. Bob was told he had roughly 10 months to live.

Bob started receiving additional chemotherapy but that didn’t help. At his family’s insistence, Bob sought second opinions for the treatment options for the devastating diagnosis of stage IV pancreatic cancer. He visited Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Those second opinions identified a key molecular detail: Bob had a rare subtype of pancreatic cancer. When Bob met with his physician at the Mayo Clinic, he recommended a clinical trial at Dana-Farber evaluating a promising investigational drug, zenocutuzumab-zbco (Bizengri), which targeted his tumor’s rare genetic mutation. “He was the first doctor to give us hope,” said Bob. The doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering affirmed the recommendation.

In December 2024, Bob began receiving the trial therapy— he refers to as “the Z drug”—at Dana-Farber. Unlike his earlier treatments, this therapy had virtually no side effects. “I’d go in for my infusion, and the next day I’m mowing the lawn or playing golf,” he said. “Before, chemo would knock me out for days.”

Since the start of the trial, Bob has received 15 infusions of zenocutuzumab-zbco. His cancer is now stable, with minor tumor shrinkage and no new spread. Scans every 8 weeks continue to show tumor control, and he reports steady weight gain, increased energy, and improved digestion. “I’ve put back on 10 of the 40 pounds I lost,” he said. “That has not happened in years. This drug did not just stabilize the cancer. It gave me back my life.”

Dr. James M. Cleary, Director of Clinical Research in the Division of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Dana-Farber, is very optimistic. “If this genetic alteration hadn’t been found, Mr. Fortin would’ve faced chemotherapy, which I don’t believe would have been as effective or as tolerable as the targeted therapy he’s on now. It’s been incredible to see him not only respond but truly live a full life.”

The emotional arc of Bob’s journey is anchored in family. His daughter, moved by his diagnosis, accelerated plans to start a family. Just three months after Bob’s initial diagnosis, she became pregnant. “She never said it outright, but I know she wanted to make sure I’d meet my grandchild,” he said. Now, that granddaughter is the center of his world.

“We play hide and seek, take wagon rides, mow the lawn together,” he said. “My wife says I’m her favorite person—and I believe it.”

Bob credits his family not just with emotional support, but with saving his life. “They were the ones who refused to give up. They pushed for second opinions, for more options,” he said. “Without them, I don’t think I’d be here.”

That refusal to quit now fuels his message to the public and to policymakers. “We see our government spending money everywhere,” he said. “But if this was your diagnosis, wouldn’t you want to know there was something left to try?”

Bob’s message to our lawmakers is clear: Federal funding for cancer research is not optional. It is lifesaving. “This clinical trial gave me more time. It gave me a future. But that only happens when research gets funded.”

We’ve got to beat this disease. And the only way to do that is by funding research.