Kilbuck Township pre-med student Tyler Frew spent the summer working in a cancer research laboratory in California.

Tyler Frew of Kilbuck Township recalls when he first knew that he wanted to pursue a medical career.

“It happened one day when I was working as a lifeguard at ACORD Park. I was just 15 that summer. It was a normal day. Kids were playing. Somehow, someone stepped on a railroad tie in the grassy area and he basically impaled his foot on it. There was a big, gaping hole in this kid’s foot. Lots of the people were panicking; some were getting sick at the sight. But I was calm. I was fine and able to help him. I was in the moment, focused. Seeing the gratitude on his face, I knew at that moment that medical work was what I wanted to pursue.”

That passion to know how to help others has grown over the past six years, taking a giant step this summer with Tyler, now 21, working in cancer research labs at UCLA with one of the world’s leading specialists in cancer treatment, Dr. Dennis Slamon, director of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center in Santa Monica, CA.

“The position is something I created on my own. It wasn’t a posted position, or anything like that,” said Tyler, a senior pre-med student at Washington & Jefferson College.

Tyler had heard of Slamon, a W & J alumnus who developed Herceptin, a drug that is used to treat those diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I was interested in his work and so I asked one of my professors for some help in getting in touch with him. I contacted him by e-mail in January, and I heard back in March.”

Tyler received a W & J grant to get started, and his pay for his research work covers living expenses while in California.

Although he has no specific title for what he is doing this summer -- lab assistant in hematology/ oncology studies comes close -- he explains what the studies involve.

“Cancer is the enemy. The doctor and patient must determine how to kill it. We can refer to chemotherapy/radiation as bombs that are used to kill cancer, but bombs do not discriminate; they kill everything they are around, and normal cells, as well as the cancer cells, become casualties. However, the therapies that target just the tumor, such as Herceptin, can be referred to as ‘smart bombs’ because they only target one thing, the cancer cell, with the rest of the body left unharmed.”

Tyler said that the big ‘buzz word’ now in cancer treatment is “personalized therapy,” which occurs when a biopsy is taken of the patient’s tumor and analyzed at the molecular level.

“The treating physician can then custom-prescribe a treatment for the patient by using various biological agents in addition to chemo and radiation. This approach has not been proven by hard scientific evidence, but that is only because it is a relatively recent idea that has been implemented in a few small studies. So far, the results look promising, so we will have to wait and see for the future.”

Tyler’s main project this summer is to work with the rare disease adrenocortical carcinoma, cancer of the adrenal gland. He is analyzing data from patients with the disease and trying to find characteristics that are specific to this cancer.

His lab work began June 1 and runs through Aug. 14. He said that there is no typical day with the work that he is doing, because he’s involved with lots of things. A typical schedule has him starting at 7 a.m., and he finishes his lab work by about noon. During the rest of the day, he helps other lab workers. “It’s always 40 hours per week -- plus,” he said.

Tyler begins his final year at W & J in September, with enough credits to graduate in December. He hopes to obtain a lab position similar to the one he has this summer and then to enter medical school next fall.

Tyler credits one of his W & J professors, Dr. Candy Deberry, who teaches cellular biology, for piquing his interests. “In many courses, we’re taught about the way things are supposed to go. She teaches, ‘This is what happens when things go wrong.’ It’s an interesting approach to cancer study.”

And he credits Avonworth High School teachers who contributed to his motivation to become a physician.

“Mrs. [Kelly] Walbush’s class on basic biological concepts is where my interest in the cell started. Mrs. [Julie] Selep’s anatomy and physiology class is where I became fascinated with the human body. And Mr. [Scott] Shriver’s AP Bio class my senior year is what really laid the foundation for the college science career and has helped me immensely in my studies at W&J. I have to give these teachers a lot of credit because they always held me accountable and pushed me to do my very best work. They helped instill a die-hard work ethic which I took to college with me.”

He also speaks of a California doctor who has been inspirational to him.

“When I was shadowing a medical oncologist, Dr. Steven Wong at Ronald Regan Hospital, I was so impressed with him and his demeanor with his patients. He has such a great bedside manner. As busy as he is, it’s not unusual for him to stay with a patient 35-40 minutes. Whatever he knows about the illness, he wants the patient to know, too. He never becomes frustrated or impatient. I hope someday to be like him.”

Doctors, professors, teachers all have influenced Tyler Frew. But there is one more guiding inspiration in his life.

“I give credit to my parents, Tim and Maureen, for all the success I have had in every aspect of my life. They both have such passion for everything they do and attack their goals with an undying determination. It is truly inspiring. They have never pressured me towards a certain path in life, but they have pushed me to be the best I can at whatever I choose. I don’t know how I could ever repay them for all they have done for me and taught me. I just hope to one day be as wonderful and inspiring to my children as they were to me.”