Patient Voices: Warb Lee

Overview

Warb Lee lived a normal life — working out, running several companies, and balancing family responsibilities and battling the ever-present cedar fever allergies in Austin, Texas.

His solution? Build an air purifier company. Drawing on his business and engineering background, Warb launched a company dedicated to cleaner air. So when he started having nosebleeds, he blamed his allergies— until monthly turned to weekly, then daily. He could sense that something was off, which prompted Warb’s visit to the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist.

Warb’s doctor performed a biopsy and confirmed a cancerous (malignant) tumor located in the back wall of the nasopharynx, which is the upper part of the throat behind the nose.

Malignant neoplasms of the nasopharynx are caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) — a common virus that causes infections or mono — being one the most notable causes.

EBV contributes to nasopharyngeal cancer by infecting epithelial cells and altering how their genes are regulated. This promotes abnormal cell growth and survival, driving tumor development.

“There’s no evidence of cancer in my family,” said Warb. “It’s just one of those things where it wasn’t driven by poor health choices. It was really the Epstein-Barr virus, and it reached a point where my body couldn’t defend against it anymore.”

Other risk factors for nasopharyngeal carcinoma include heavy alcohol use, tobacco consumption, a diet high in salt-cured foods, family history, and age. While this cancer can occur at any age, it is most often diagnosed in adults between 30 and 60.

Treatment close to home

With Texas Oncology-Austin Central conveniently located close to home, Warb was able to access treatment. Jeff Yorio, M.D., a board-certified physician specializing in hematology, internal medicine, and medical oncology, served as Warb’s primary physician.

“In discussion with Dr. Yorio, we agreed that we’d use chemo first to shrink as much of the cancer as we can. This way, when it’s time for proton radiation, we’ve already attacked the tumor and it’s much smaller to deal with,” explained Warb. “Dr. Yorio was so good at explaining things.”

High-quality care at Texas Oncology-Austin Central

Chemotherapy was tough on Warb with him experiencing symptoms affecting his gastrointestinal system to more pronounced exhaustion. Through it all, Warb confided in his care team for support. The staff “were so caring. Some of them gave me hugs because it is tough to go through chemo,” said Warb.

“Now I have a deeper understanding and compassion for people going through that because I went through it.”

To show the staff his appreciation, Warb showered the staff and other patients with pizza parties and treats. “It was fun to be able to contribute something to everybody else.”

In May 2018, Warb completed additional scans, and doctors found no trace of cancer. “The chemo that was first administered, it removed 99% of it all,” he said.

In 2024, Warb had been cancer free for five years. But he received some news that no patient wanted to hear: the cancer had returned and migrated to his right ear.

“Even while going through this, I was able to be in a mood of gratitude. I didn’t want to be there. I didn’t want to go through treatment. But while I was going through it, I felt God’s love, but then also everybody else’s,” Warb said.

In 2024 he found himself back at Texas Oncology. Warb went through chemo again. This time, it didn’t shrink the tumor at all.

Environmental exposures

This time around, Warb and his wife dove into research to better understand the disease. Their findings? Environmental exposures are major risk factors for developing cancer, especially mold.

Despite using air purifiers and keeping their home clean, they discovered mold near the vapor barrier. The vapor barrier is designed to stop moisture from passing through the walls and floors, so finding mold there meant moisture had gotten past it.

Warb speculates the home’s age played a role. Built in the 1980s, its construction practices and materials may have made moisture control more difficult.

In addition to fighting EBV, Warb’s immune system also had to contend with mold. Mold can weaken the immune system by triggering allergic reactions, releasing mycotoxins that suppress immune function, and causing chronic inflammation.

After remediating the mold in their home, Warb wanted to test the infusion room at the clinic to see if air purification could help reduce the spread of airborne pathogens, viruses, and bacteria.

Determined to improve the air quality at Texas Oncology-Austin Central for all patients, Warb donated air purifiers to measure the impact.

The results were astonishing. “We’re able to reduce the level of bacteria or really what’s called a probability of airborne infection by about 50%,” he said. Airborne infection risk measures the probability of someone inhaling infectious respiratory droplets in an enclosed space, based on factors like droplet count, ventilation, and exposure time. It’s a critical metric in cancer clinics where patients are highly vulnerable to infection.

“Mr. Lee owns a company, a very successful air filtration system company, and he wanted to give back,” said Adrian Canizales, practice manager at Texas Oncology-Austin Central. “He knows how many people visit the infusion room including patients, caregivers, and staff members. It's made a significant impact, and I want to acknowledge him for doing that for us because it’s made it a healthier environment overall for people who visit that room.”

Where’s Warb today?

Warb underwent a combination of chemotherapy, detox treatments, and immunotherapy. Today, his scans show that he is clear of any remaining cancer. In addition to maintaining his health, enjoying time with his family, and running his businesses, Warb is passionate about addressing environmental issues in health clinics.

The information included in this testimonial is based on one patient’s unique experience and is not intended to represent all patient outcomes or expectations.