Joe’s Story

Nonprofit Executive Benefits from Innovative Immunotherapy Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer

For Joe Maher, life has been fulfilling. He and his wife of 35 years have enjoyed time with their growing family, including visits with their first grandchild. Professionally, Joe has spent more than two decades serving as a nonprofit executive. At home in Dryden, Michigan, he has found joy caring for the couple's 10-acre apple orchard, spending time outdoors, and playing with their golden retrievers.

A dental visit leads to a life-changing diagnosis

In September 2025, Joe developed swelling and pain in his upper gum and scheduled an appointment with his dentist. After the initial evaluation, he was referred to an oral surgeon for a tooth extraction and biopsy.

The biopsy revealed devastating news.

"The oral surgeon said he had the worst possible news he could give me," Joe recalls. "I had a tumor that was very aggressive and dangerous."

Recognizing the complexity of Joe's diagnosis, the oral surgeon immediately referred him to the Head and Neck Cancer Program at Henry Ford Health.

"He felt it would be the best place for me to be treated," Joe says.

The very next day, Joe was set up with an appointment with Jake Sims, DO, head and neck cancer surgeon at Henry Ford Health, beginning a coordinated treatment journey with a multidisciplinary team of specialists.

A multidisciplinary team creates a personalized treatment plan

Although the diagnosis was overwhelming, Joe quickly found reassurance in the expertise and collaboration of the team caring for him.

His case was reviewed by Henry Ford Health's multidisciplinary head and neck cancer team, including Dr. Sims; Rushil Dang, DMD, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Farzan Siddiqui, MD, radiation oncologist and Matthew Wilkins, MD, medical oncologist who managed his care. Together, they developed a comprehensive treatment plan designed to give Joe the best possible outcome.

"For patients like me facing a deadly and aggressive disease, with all the intense emotions we must face during this cancer journey, the confidence and consolation in the knowledge that we have been given such an extensive team of medical experts behind us is tremendous," Joe says. "I really felt taken care of and that everything was going to be okay."

The recommended treatment plan combined surgery to remove the tumor and affected teeth in Joe's upper jaw with reconstructive surgery performed the same day. Following surgery, Joe would receive radiation therapy. 

Dr. Wilkins explains Joe's cancer was tested for a marker called PD-L1, which showed he was also an excellent candidate for immunotherapy which was done before and after surgery. “This treatment recently became the new standard of care after a landmark clinical trial showed it helps patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer live longer without their cancer returning,” says Dr. Wilkins. Unlike chemotherapy, immunotherapy helps the body's own immune system find and destroy cancer cells. “In Joe's case, it produced a remarkable response, shrinking both his main tumor and the cancer that had spread to nearby lymph nodes before surgery,” he adds. “Joe was among the first patients at Henry Ford Health to receive this groundbreaking treatment, and it's incredibly exciting to see leading-edge research translate so quickly into better outcomes and new hope for our patients."

Dr. Sims notes that thanks to the immunotherapy treatment, Joe’s tumor had a significant reduction of living cancer cells even prior to surgical removal. Immunotherapy prior to surgery has the potential to improve surgical outcomes by reducing viable tumor burden before resection. “In Joe’s case, he had significant response to immunotherapy, which allowed for maximum tissue preservation while maintaining a safe oncologic surgery,” explains Dr. Sims. “Immunotherapy and our new treatment paradigm will continue to result in better outcomes for those with head and neck cancer by preserving critical structures and subsequently improving postoperative function and quality of life. It was a blessing to take care of Joe.” 

Treatment brings encouraging results

Today, Joe says he has much to be grateful for.

"I am so grateful to God, my wife who has been my rock, and the Henry Ford Cancer Team because my last two blood tests showed no detection of cancer, and the CT scan of my head and neck came back with nothing remarkable."

While he still has a full-body scan scheduled for the coming months, Joe says his outlook is encouraging.

"The prognosis looks promising. I am still slowly recovering from surgery and the radiation treatments, and every day gets better."

Finding hope through expert cancer care

Looking back on his experience, Joe hopes his story encourages others facing a head and neck cancer diagnosis to seek specialized care at the center that saved his life.

"Don't panic. Go to the Henry Ford Cancer Center," he says. "Based on my experience with a very deadly, complex cancer, I promise you'll be glad you did."