Boalsburg man uses cancer experience to advocate for others

What started out as a lump on the right side of his neck in 2017 turned into so much more for 64-year-old Ken Hull from Boalsburg.

“I had a similar lump on my chest that a previous doctor said was a cyst. I thought this was the same thing,” said Hull. 

But Hull decided to get the lump checked out by his primary care provider (PCP) and advocated to have a biopsy done just in case there was something there. The biopsy, a needle aspiration fluid draw, came back negative for all types of cancer and was deemed to be a benign cyst. 

Once Hull got his benign results, he went back to his day-to-day life as an artisan.  He is also an avid motorcycle rider, rock climber and health and fitness buff. 

But in 2023, Hull noticed the cyst had started to grow and make an everyday task like shaving more difficult. He made another appointment to be seen by a new PCP who immediately sent him to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. 

At that appointment, Hull learned he would need a second, more comprehensive biopsy.  The second biopsy allowed Hull’s physicians to scrape the outer wall of the lump to test the cells for cancer. 

“Twenty-four hours after the biopsy, I got a phone call that told me I had squamous cell carcinoma that originated in my right tonsil,” Hull said. 

That led Hull to Thorsen Haugen, MD, an otolaryngologist who specializes in head and neck surgery at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.

“Ken presented with cT2N1M0 squamous cell carcinoma, which is a form of Human Papillomavirus,” said Dr. Haugen. “Because of the length of time between Ken’s first and second biopsy, the cancer was able to grow, which changed our treatment plan.”

Instead of surgery due to the tumor’s size, Hull’s treatment included chemotherapy and radiation.

“The 33 radiation treatments were the absolute worst thing I’ve ever had to go through. The first few treatments are a breeze, but by the time you hit treatment 16 … I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. No one talks about the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation,” Hull stated. “Regardless of the difficulty and all of the side effects, the advancements in treatments saved my life.”

During his treatments, Hull leaned on his wife Claire, who he deemed the “researcher.” 

“Anytime something would happen, she would pull out her phone and start to Google. I wouldn’t have made it through this journey without her,” Hull said.

He also credits his active lifestyle for keeping him sane during his cancer journey. The second he was physically able to, Hull was back to working out. He even completed a pull-up challenge in October 2024 with Dr. Haugen in attendance cheering him on.

Today, Hull is cancer free and has been able to help and become a support system for other men who have been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. Hull meets with them to chat about their experiences and how treatment is affecting them. 

“We are seeing an increase of patients with HPV positive oropharyngeal carcinoma. The number of patients with HPV-related cancers is expected to rise for the next decade before it eventually plateaus due to the HPV vaccine,” said Dr. Haugen. 

Each year, more than 37,000 HPV-related cancers are diagnosed in the U.S. Receiving a prophylactic vaccination against HPV can prevent a diagnosis of an HPV-related cancer. Hull certainly has become an advocate of the HPV vaccine. 

“I got a cancer that is very treatable and very curable,” he said. “Now we have a vaccine that can protect other men and women from experiencing the same thing I did.”