{"id":81860,"date":"2025-04-09T09:50:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T15:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=81860"},"modified":"2025-04-10T08:33:42","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T14:33:42","slug":"pueblo-father-son-doctors-confront-cancer-40-years-apart-share-screening-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/pueblo-father-son-doctors-confront-cancer-40-years-apart-share-screening-message\/","title":{"rendered":"Father and son doctors in Pueblo confronted cancer 40 years apart and urge others to get screened"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><figure id=\"attachment_81848\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-81848\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-81848\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/04\/07132457\/IMG_7233-pueblo-father-son-cancer4-web.webp\" alt=\"Dr. Michael J. Ramos, left, and his father, Dr. Michael A. Ramos, right, are both family medicine doctors in Pueblo. Each has faced cancer and urges patients to get screened and adopt health habits to prevent cancer. Photo by Todd Seip, UCHealth.\" width=\"640\" height=\"459\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-81848\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Michael J. Ramos, left, and his father, Dr. Michael A. Ramos, right, are both family medicine doctors in Pueblo. Each has faced cancer and urges patients to get screened and adopt health habits to prevent cancer. Photo by Todd Seip, UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It was March of 2021.<div class=\"su-callout-box col-xs-12 col-sm-6 right\" style=\"background-color:#dce4e7; color:#2e3b44;\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<h2><strong>What is testicular cancer? How to check yourself for symptoms of this treatable cancer.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Testicular cancer is a disease in which cancer cells form in the tissues of one or both testicles.<\/li>\n<li>Testicular cancer is one of the less common cancers in men with about 1 of every 250 men getting diagnosed.<\/li>\n<li>Testicular cancer is most commonly diagnosed in men ages 20 to 39.<\/li>\n<li>Testicular cancer can usually be cured.<\/li>\n<li>A condition called cryptorchidism \u2014 or an undescended testicle \u2014 is a risk factor for testicular cancer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Most common symptom of testicular cancer:<\/strong> a painless lump in the testicle.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>How to check yourself for testicular cancer:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Check yourself once a month while taking a shower.<\/li>\n<li>Check each testicle for lumps or swelling.<\/li>\n<li>If you notice changes is the size, shape or texture of your testicles, check with your doctor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"\">\n<p>Sources: <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.gov\/publications\/dictionaries\/cancer-terms\/def\/testicular-cancer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Cancer Institute<\/a> and the <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.auanet.org\/about-us\/media-center\/press-center\/dont-drop-the-ball-the-urology-care-foundation-urges-men-to-check-themselves-for-testicular-cancer-awareness-month\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">American Urological Association<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/provider\/michael-ramos-md-2\/\">Michael J. Ramos<\/a> was training to become a family medicine doctor in Oklahoma and had just finished his urology rotation when he felt a lump on one of his testicles.<\/p>\n<p>Ramos scheduled an appointment with the doctor who had just been his teacher.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t expect to see you back so soon,\u201d the urologist said.<\/p>\n<p>The lump turned out to be testicular cancer.<\/p>\n<p>The news was rough for Ramos.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a surreal feeling,\u201d he said. \u201cHere you are pursuing your career, and all of a sudden you get diagnosed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re used to treating (patients). We\u2019re not used to being the patient.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ramos was 36 at the time and had already been navigating a long journey to become a doctor. A Pueblo native, he attended college at the University of Denver, medical school in the Caribbean and traveled to different hospitals for rotations around the U.S. before starting his family medicine residency in Oklahoma.<\/p>\n<p>As a child, he wanted to follow his dad into health care. His dad, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/provider\/michael-ramos-md\/\">Michael A. Ramos<\/a>, is a family medicine doctor at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-family-medicine-13th-street\/\">UCHealth Family Medicine &#8211; 13<sup>th<\/sup> Street in Pueblo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The son succeeded in his goal and returned to his hometown of Pueblo where, just like his dad, he&#8217;s also a family medicine doctor. The young Dr. Ramos, now 40, cares for patients at a different primary care clinic: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-family-medicine-parkview-pueblo-west-hospital\/\">UCHealth Family Medicine \u2013 Parkview Pueblo West Hospital.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>His dad, 68, is also a cancer survivor. He remembered how difficult it was for his son to receive news that he had testicular cancer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was a little angry and (thought) \u2018why did he get it.\u2019 When he had to do the surgery, he was kind of down,\u201d the elder Ramos said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_81851\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-81851\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-81851\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/04\/07132509\/IMG_7210-2-pueblo-son-cancer-web.webp\" alt=\"Dr. Michael J. Ramos was diagnosed with testicular cancer while he was training to become a family medicine doctor. He followed his dad, Michael A. Ramos, into medicine. Both are primary care providers in Pueblo. And both are cancer survivors who encourage patients to be proactive in staying healthy and getting screened for cancer. Photo by Todd Seip, UCHealth.\" width=\"640\" height=\"448\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-81851\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Michael J. Ramos was diagnosed with testicular cancer while he was training to become a family medicine doctor. He followed his dad, Michael A. Ramos, into medicine. Both are primary care providers in Pueblo. And both are cancer survivors who encourage patients to be proactive in staying healthy and getting screened for cancer. Photo by Todd Seip, UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>A father shares his story of getting bone cancer while in medical school<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The elder Ramos\u2019 cancer journey began almost four decades earlier when he was a medical student, and his left leg started bothering him. An X-ray showed a tumor, and it turned out to be a type of bone cancer called osteogenic sarcoma of the fibula.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce you get it, you go, \u2018Why me? What did I do?\u2019 I thought I was a good person and then you go through all the different emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Doctors recommended both surgery and chemotherapy, which the elder Ramos initially refused.<\/p>\n<p>He had watched his grandmother suffer through chemotherapy for breast cancer. It took another perspective to change his mind.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe dean of medical school said if I didn&#8217;t do it, he was going to kick me out,\u201d the elder Ramos said.<\/p>\n<p>Back when he got cancer, Ramos said some people were afraid even to be around a person who was going through chemotherapy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey didn\u2019t want to touch you,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was kind of isolating.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Compounding the difficulty was the fact that he was never one to ask for help and never felt comfortable accepting help from others.<\/p>\n<p>Still, years later, he told his son that he had made the right call.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven though I hated (chemotherapy), I&#8217;m glad I did it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As painful as it was for both men to go through cancer journeys, the dad\u2019s willingness to talk about his own trials helped the younger Ramos as he coped with testicular cancer.<\/p>\n<p>He developed his own set of guiding principles:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Accept reality.<\/li>\n<li>Put in the work.<\/li>\n<li>Reap what you sow.<\/li>\n<li>Confront challenges as they come.<\/li>\n<li>And do what\u2019s necessary to complete the task at hand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Raised in Pueblo<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The elder Ramos grew up in Pueblo and was raised by his grandparents. His grandmother was particularly influential. She taught him to give without expecting anything in return.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_81889\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-81889\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-81889\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/04\/09091336\/IMG_7220-2-pueblo-father-cancer-web.webp\" alt=\"Dr. Michael A. Ramos, a family doctor in Pueblo, Colorado, said it was tough to deal with his cancer diagnosis decades ago. He felt isolated at times and encourages other people to speak up and keep tabs on their health. Photo by Todd Seip, UCHealth.\" width=\"640\" height=\"442\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-81889\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Michael A. Ramos, a family doctor in Pueblo, Colorado, said it was tough to deal with his cancer diagnosis decades ago. He felt isolated at times and encourages other people to speak up and keep tabs on their health. Photo by Todd Seip, UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He always wanted to be a doctor and pursuing medicine was a way to help people like his grandmother. Even after he got into medical school, she kept him grounded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don&#8217;t think you&#8217;re better than anybody else, and nobody&#8217;s better than you,\u201d she would tell him.<\/p>\n<p>He went into family medicine because it allowed him to care for patients of all ages.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou deliver a baby one day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The next, you might have to help someone face tough end-of-life dilemmas.<\/p>\n<p>The same babies Ramos helped bring into the world then grew up to have their own kids, some of whom he also delivered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey&#8217;re like family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Young Michael was born during his dad\u2019s final year of medical school.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI remember I\u2019d be trying to study, and we\u2019d both be sleeping,\u201d the elder Ramos said recalling moments with his son when he was a newborn.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A strong community spirit in Pueblo<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Back then, Pueblo was a far different place. People smoked in the hospital. Privacy regulations weren\u2019t as stringent. It was a small town where everyone knew everyone from wealthy folks to lower-income people.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s always been a tight knit community,\u201d the younger Ramos said.<\/p>\n<p>His dad agreed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe only downside is that you can\u2019t go anywhere without people knowing you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The Pueblo community always has come together to support people during tough times like when a major accident at the steel mill resulted in numerous injuries and led to an outpouring of community support.<\/p>\n<p>The younger Ramos recalled how his dad exemplified this same generous spirit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI remember we were grocery shopping when I was 4 years old. My father had to do CPR on an individual who had gone into cardiac arrest near the entrance to the grocery store,\u201d the younger Ramos said. \u201cHe has always been selfless and doing whatever it takes to help those in need.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His dad often brought him to work, which immersed him in medicine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI vividly remember walking the halls and learning everything. I still remember how the OR looked, the tile, the color of the room, just happy memories.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_81847\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-81847\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-81847\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/04\/07132454\/IMG_7233-pueblo-father-son-cancer2-web.webp\" alt=\"Dr. Michael A. Ramos, left, and Dr. Michael J. Ramos, right, are both family medicine doctors in Pueblo. Each faced cancer as a young man. The father was diagnosed with bone cancer while in medical school. The son learned he had testicular cancer while he was a resident. He's encouraging teens and young men to check for signs of testicular cancer every month since it's highly treatable. Photo by Todd Seip, UCHealth.\" width=\"640\" height=\"430\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-81847\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Michael A. Ramos, left, and Dr. Michael J. Ramos, right, are both family medicine doctors in Pueblo. Each faced cancer as a young man. The father was diagnosed with bone cancer while in medical school. The son learned he had testicular cancer while he was a resident. He&#8217;s encouraging teens and young men to check for signs of testicular cancer every month since it&#8217;s highly treatable. Photo by Todd Seip, UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Concern, then pride about a career in medicine<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Like many doctors of his generation, the elder Ramos wasn\u2019t home much and often stayed late at the hospital. Looking back, he understands that his dedication to patients took a toll on his family and his well-being. Initially, he didn\u2019t want his son to follow him into medicine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDad tried to get me to be an attorney,\u201d the younger Ramos said.<\/p>\n<p>But then the father watched as his son found family medicine and loved it. Like his dad, he was drawn to the broader scope of practice and being able to care for patients from birth to the twilight of their lives.<\/p>\n<p>And so, the son followed in his dad\u2019s footsteps.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;m glad he did, because that&#8217;s what he wanted to do,\u201d the elder Ramos said. \u201cMedicine has changed a lot, but I was kind of excited about him doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When the younger Ramos started practicing, his dad recalled watching him navigate the challenges of today\u2019s health care system. He remembered how upset his son would get about insurance denials for his patients.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was taking it to heart that it was his fault \u2026 It&#8217;s not. You\u2019ve just got to realize this is where the system is and just do what you can,\u201d he told his son.<\/p>\n<p>The elder Ramos is especially proud of the way his son has found balance in his life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like the way Michael\u2019s doing it. He\u2019s working and spending time with his family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Lessons learned facing different types of cancer <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>For the elder Ramos, getting cancer early in his medical training changed his outlook on life. It made him aware of his own vulnerability. It gave him a greater appreciation for life, and the importance of taking good care of his own body. It made him less self-centered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think I needed that. I didn\u2019t like it, but I think it made me a better person. After I got cancer, I just realized, \u2018Hey, I\u2019m nobody special. I&#8217;m just a person, and so you better straighten up and start thinking about people a little bit more and caring more about people.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As far as support, his grandmother and his faith helped him through the challenges of cancer treatments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe biggest thing was family and prayer. We have all our training but whoever you believe in, there\u2019s always a higher being that\u2019s going to control things. And that\u2019s kind of what got me through: praying every night. The only one who would ever call me would be my grandmother.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His experiences coping with cancer gave him more empathy for his patients.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt really helped me just to get more focused on people: how they feel and just knowing what they&#8217;re going through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This sensitivity often leads him to learn other important details, such as the medication side effects patients are experiencing or stressful situations like a death of a loved one that influence one\u2019s lifestyle choices.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI go and ask them whatever the main issue is and then ask them other stuff because sometimes they won&#8217;t bring it up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A young doctor faces testicular cancer and the need to focus on his own health<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>For the younger Ramos, his cancer treatment was an opportunity to slow down and pay attention to his own needs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re trained to just \u2018do\u2019 and not think,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes doctors pay a price and neglect their own physical and mental health while investing so much time and energy in patients.<\/p>\n<p>But during the younger Ramos\u2019 training, his program emphasized the importance of taking good care of your mental health, which was particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Along with his family\u2019s support, the younger Ramos found a good counselor who helped him process the difficulty of a cancer diagnosis as a young man.<\/p>\n<p>His encounter with testicular cancer also renewed his focus on nutrition. Through much of his medical training, his diet was \u201ctrash,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>After getting cancer, he made a conscious decision to eat a healthier diet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe awakening for me was when the hospital I was at in Oklahoma opened a fast-food restaurant in the facility. I was like, \u2018No, I\u2019m not doing that.\u2019 It was actually in the physician office building attached to the hospital, and there was a coffee shop in there too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Cultivating healthier habits and a wonderful garden <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Ramos recently became a first-time father.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_81920\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-81920\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-81920\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/04\/10082524\/Pueblo-father-son-cancer-ramos-and-family-web.webp\" alt=\"Photo courtesy of Dr. Michael J. Ramos.\" width=\"640\" height=\"504\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-81920\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Michael J. Ramos with his wife and son. Photo courtesy of Dr. Michael J. Ramos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At home, he regularly does organic gardening. His close connection with food and nature has enhanced the way he supports his family and his patients.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have a 1-year-old at home, so I want to be healthy as possible for him and reduce my risk of cancer down the road and other diseases as well. I can prevent those disease processes now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s returning to his roots, literally.<\/p>\n<p>Growing up, Ramos loved eating strawberries from the garden. He sometimes got in trouble for gulping down too many. Today, eating homegrown produce is a way to appreciate the life he\u2019s been given. Not only is food from the garden good medicine, it also prevents disease. Ramos knows that even if he were to develop future health problems, living a healthier lifestyle will increase the effectiveness of medical treatments and enhance his resiliency.<\/p>\n<p>In the same way, supporting his plants with a healthy environment has paid other dividends during difficult times.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo years ago, we had one of the worst hailstorms, and my garden was flourishing at that point in time, and it took everything out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The loss was initially overwhelming, just like his painful cancer diagnosis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was ready to go rip out all the plants,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>His wife convinced him to give the plants time to heal and keep the big picture in mind.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSure enough, it was our best garden.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_81919\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-81919\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-81919\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/04\/10082520\/pueblo-father-son-cancer-ramos-garden-web.webp\" alt=\"Photo courtesy of Dr. Michael J. Ramos.\" width=\"640\" height=\"406\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-81919\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Michael J. Ramos&#8217; garden. Gardening has helped Ramos look at patient care differently and has made him a better doctor. Photo courtesy of Dr. Michael J. Ramos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Similarly, seeing each patient through this environmental lens has shaped his approach as a doctor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKnowing their background, what their limitations are, if they have financial constraints, different social constraints, different family dynamics, knowing their family history helps. What helps, too, is having good insight as to their insurance coverage. Knowing what their coverage helps me direct the patient best for optimizing their care,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Medication is often not the \u201cbe-all and end-all\u201d as far as Ramos is concerned.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, medications allow people time to heal and get stronger until they\u2019re ready to take control of their health, especially when it comes to eating well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe main thing is getting access to healthy foods and cutting out those processed foods,\u201d the younger Ramos said. \u201cProcessed foods are cheaper than healthier foods typically, but with my patients, I try to find workarounds and try and find healthy, cheaper options for them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;ll sit down and spend dedicated time talking about where to shop in the grocery store, how you find those cheaper prices for healthier foods, and how to maximize what they purchase into multiple meals rather than just one and how it compares to like if they go to a fast-food restaurant,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Once again, it\u2019s about living with the big picture in mind.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Understanding health through community \u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Both father and son know that individuals can have a big impact on their greater communities.<\/p>\n<p>Cancer can do that in a negative way, so they work to do the opposite.<\/p>\n<p>Cancer occurs when one cell or molecule starts growing out of control and damages the essential functions of the whole body. In a sense, it\u2019s individualism gone awry. Whether driven by genetics, lifestyle choices or the environment, the result is the same.<\/p>\n<p>Cancer says to the rest of the body, \u2018I don\u2019t need you to succeed,\u2019 and in doing so, harms the whole.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, when it comes to health, individuals need healthy communities.<\/p>\n<p>Caring medical providers, like the Ramoses, walk alongside others until they are well enough to take ownership of their health in a way that bears fruit. It begins with seeking help, accepting reality, then learning with and from one another.<\/p>\n<p>When the younger Ramos was in college, he worked one summer in Africa with a group to address a variety of infectious diseases including HIV and tuberculosis. It was an unforgettable experience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone I encountered while in South Africa had a strong sense of the term \u2018Ubuntu.\u2019 Ubuntu loosely translates into \u2018I am, because we are.\u2019 Since then, I have had a strong connection with the purpose of Ubuntu for the care of my patients, my community, my family, and myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the same spirit of the generational lessons passed down in his family, Ramos carries this communal mentality today.<\/p>\n<p>After all, it takes a pueblo to raise a child.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was March of 2021. Michael J. Ramos was training to become a family medicine doctor in Oklahoma and had just finished his urology rotation when he felt a lump on one of his testicles. Ramos scheduled an appointment with the doctor who had just been his teacher. \u201cI didn\u2019t expect to see you back [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2411,"featured_media":81848,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,7],"tags":[28,9201,21],"class_list":["post-81860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","category-stories","tag-cancer-care-oncology","tag-pueblo","tag-southern-colorado"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Father-son doctors and cancer survivors urge people to get screened - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Drs. 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