Hiker returns to the trail after throat cancer diagnosis

Doug Bearmar is used to challenges. His passions include hikes that routinely span hundreds of miles and raising llamas on his East County farm. Both require perseverance, grit and patience to overcome frequent obstacles.

Little did he know that he would need all those traits for something entirely unexpected.

In the summer of 2024, Doug set out for a 214-mile hike from Mt. Whitney to Yosemite Valley. In his early 60’s, Doug felt in great shape for the journey. All he had with him for company were two of his llamas, which served as pack animals. “I breed and raise llamas that people rent for backcountry and overnight excursions.”

Along the way, Doug started to have trouble swallowing. He began needing to drink extra liquids to get down his food, and by the end of the trip, he could no longer swallow the salt tablets he’d been taking to replenish essential minerals.

Soon after returning, Doug felt a lump in his throat and visited urgent care. Doctors tried a few different measures, but when nothing made the lump go away, Doug was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist.

Imaging revealed a mass at the base of his tongue. The next step was a biopsy.

Unwanted news

Doug was on a hike with his wife when he got the call with the results. The mass was throat cancer, which had spread to a lymph node. Unfortunately, its position at the base of his tongue made it too risky to remove with surgery.

“We couldn’t believe I had cancer,” Doug remembers. “I don’t drink or smoke. I felt so healthy. It was such a shock.”

“The majority of cancers at the base of the tongue are actually linked to the human papilloma virus, known as HPV,” says Dr. Lori Coleman, a radiation oncologist with Sharp Community Medical Group and affiliated with Sharp Memorial Hospital. “The advent of the HPV vaccine over the last 20 years can help prevent this and other forms of HPV-associated cancer, such as cervical cancer.”

“I just wanted to get going and attack it,” Doug says. “It was the next trail to conquer.”

The most challenging trail yet

The plan Doug’s care team developed included radiation and chemotherapy to destroy the cancer cells.

“If caught early, this form of cancer is curable,” says Dr. Coleman. “I told Doug it wouldn’t be easy, but that we had a whole team of people there to support and guide him through it.”

That began with designating a navigator to walk Doug through every step of the process. This was particularly important to help him through using a feeding tube, a device inserted through the skin into the stomach to provide nutrients and fluids for people who have trouble swallowing.

“Most people going through radiation and chemotherapy together want to try it without a feeding tube, but it’s really difficult,” explains Dr. Coleman.

Common side effects of the treatments include throat soreness, dry mouth, temporary loss of taste and nausea. “This makes it hard for patients to get enough calories orally to maintain their daily needs,” she says.

Doug was surprised at how quickly he adjusted. “I thought I’d miss eating, but I was so focused on managing the feeding tube and medications that I didn’t miss food at all,” he says. “In fact, when it was time, I was worried to give up the tube.”

Dr. Coleman says new technology allows them to target the radiation with greater precision than ever before, limiting the impact on surrounding tissue and the subsequent side effects.

“Everyone was so kind and supportive. They kept me going through each treatment. They told me that my scans were showing progress, even if I couldn’t feel it yet,” he recalls.

The finish line

A month after treatment ended, Doug began regaining strength. He began to eat again, starting with bananas and milk. When he went two straight weeks without using the feeding tube and without losing weight, the tube was removed.

“I’m addicted to milk now,” Doug jokes.

Check-ups have shown that Doug’s cancer is in remission. He’s back at work on his llama farm and, about a year after the end of his treatment, is planning a month-long “solo” hike — he’ll bring along the llamas.

“I feel like it’s a new time in my life,” says Doug. “I feel so much more gratitude now.”

Dr. Coleman credits Doug for not waiting to see a doctor when he first noticed the problem — and for his optimism throughout treatment.

“Because we caught it early, we could treat it more successfully,” she says.” And now, Doug is back to doing what he loves. It was my privilege to help him fight this cancer. Plus — I know where to go if I ever need a llama!”

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