In the kitchen of Sabor de Minas, Caesar Sodre plates delicious Brazilian fare. For Sodre, 66, food is a love language and a way to care for his customers. For more than two decades, the bright blue Brazilian restaurant in Framingham, Massachusetts, has been a cornerstone of his community. That community — including staff and longtime customers — returned the care by supporting him through cancer treatment.
In February 2016, Sodre felt a cold coming on and no longer felt like his usual self. Tests with his primary care doctor included a routine PSA screening for prostate cancer. The results led to further workup and, eventually, a diagnosis of an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
“I went to a few doctors, and each one had a worse prognosis than the last,” recalls Sodre. “I felt hopeless. Cancer is a disease that happens inside your body, and I thought, ‘How do you fight your own body? I win against myself?”
Unsure what his future would look like, Sodre sought treatment recommendations – many of which involved surgery that could lead to side effects and a lower quality of life.
“I knew I needed help fighting this battle and that I needed to enlist the best possible help I could get,” says Sodre. “I was not going to settle.”
A better outlook
Sodre transferred his care to Dana-Farber, where he began working with Mark Pomerantz, MD, medical oncologist and clinical director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology. From that point on, his prognosis was more hopeful.
“We gave Caesar several options, which included surgery, radiation therapy, as well as a clinical trial,” says Pomerantz, who is also an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “We were hopeful that with intensive treatment his prostate cancer was curable.”
After discussing his options with the care team, Sodre joined a phase III clinical trial that tested enzalutamide – a newly developed oral hormone blocker used to treat advanced prostate cancer – in combination with radiation therapy for patients with a localized, high-risk form of the disease.
“At the time,” says Pomerantz, “We were hypothesizing that treating the disease with the addition of this novel hormone receptor blocker could meaningfully improve radiation therapy outcomes. Caesar was an excellent candidate for the trial. He bravely and graciously enrolled.”
With the clinical trial, Sodre felt a newfound sense of optimism. While he knew the journey ahead would not be easy, he felt that he had the right team to guide him.
“I was excited that there were more options and that I had a good chance of beating this cancer,” Sodre says.
From care team to family
With his family supporting him from his home country of Brazil, Sodre recalls feeling “completely alone.” His care team became his family.
After two decades in the restaurant industry, Sodre sees his customers as his community, too. Throughout radiation and hormone blocker injections in conjunction with the enzalutamide, he still went to the gym and worked at Sabor de Minas. Serving plates of feijoada, pastéis, and other Brazilian specialties is very rewarding for Sodre.
“When you cook for people, you are taking care of the most basic human needs,” he adds.
A fantastic response
Sodre’s treatment lasted 18 months, and he experienced an excellent response. On the last day of treatment, Sodre and Pomerantz shared a warm hug and gratitude.
“I started crying because I was so thankful,” recalls Sodre. “My care team took such good care of me.”
Clinical trials like this one help today’s patients access promising treatments while advancing care for future generations.
“We are indebted to heroic patients like Caesar,” says Pomerantz. “His participation in our research directly influences and improves the care of future generations of patients.”
Now in remission, Sodre continues to cook with love and appreciation. He also spends time traveling to new parts of the world – like Switzerland and Italy – and visiting family in Brazil with his new wife, Jill.
“Humans are psychologically wired to think they have more time,” says Sodre. “My journey has allowed me to realize that I cannot sleep on life.”
Excellent article. We are all grateful to Dana Farber researchers.