INNOVATION
Multidisciplinary Clinic Revolutionizes Cancer Treatment Cancer. It’s the life-changing diagnosis that stirs a range of emotions and leads to countless questions. Where should I seek treatment? What options should I pursue? Do I have access to the best care possible? No matter the prognosis, a cancer diagnosis immediately changes your outlook and leads life down an unexpected path. Dag Kittlaus, co-founder of Siri, initially arrived at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) for a simple checkup. “My wife talked me into getting a routine checkup. During that appointment, my doctors unexpectedly found a mass on my pancreas.” Kittlaus wanted effective treatment, and fast. “When you get this kind of news, you want to get treatment quickly. My doctors explained that I had likely had the tumor for several years, and I wanted it out,” he said. Kittlaus scheduled his initial appointment through Executive Health at UCH, where he received a comprehensive checkup and full battery of tests. When the routine tests revealed abnormalities and a tumor on his pancreas, he was diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer. This is the same type of cancer that Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, battled. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors account for approximately 7% of all pancreatic tumors. They tend to grow slowly and cause few symptoms. If caught early, this type of cancer is treatable. After receiving his diagnosis, Kittlaus sought specialized treatment at UCH. He underwent surgery to remove the tumor just two days after his initial scans. Richard Schulick, MD, MBA, director of the CU Cancer Center and chair of the CU Department of Surgery, was his lead physician. “He’s a rock star,” Kittlaus said, “and I would recommend him to anyone.” Following surgery, Kittlaus remained in the hospital for six days, and he spent two months recovering from surgery and returning to normal activities.
In 2007, Dag Kittlaus co-founded a speech recognition company that would revolutionize the mobile device industry with a product now widely known as Siri. Soon after, Kittlaus received a call from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. His offer: Apple would buy Siri for $200 million and make it the virtual assistant in all Apple products. Kittlaus accepted and spent the next several years at Apple before departing to launch another digital startup, Viv Labs, which was recently acquired by Samsung.
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