Kankakee County Retiree Celebrates Holidays Cancer-Free After Life-Saving Liver Transplant at Northwestern Medicine

Nick LaLuna liver cancer patient

KANKAKEE, Ill. — December 17, 2025 — This holiday season, Nick LaLuna is celebrating more than Christmas — he’s celebrating life. After a shocking liver cancer diagnosis and being told his condition was untreatable nearly three years ago, LaLuna is now cancer-free thanks to advanced care and a liver transplant at Northwestern Medicine.

Nick LaLuna’s journey began in early 2023 during a routine heart check, when doctors discovered hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer. “When I first heard the words ‘there’s nothing we can do,’ I thought that was it,” LaLuna said. “But my family encouraged me to get a second opinion, and that decision saved my life.”

Advanced care closer to home

LaLuna, 68 from Kankakee, turned to Northwestern Medicine, where he began a rigorous treatment plan under the care of Yazan Numan, MD, a medical oncologist at the  Northwestern Medicine St. George Cancer Institute in Orland Park.

“Nick’s case was complex,” said Dr. Numan. “He had a scarred, damaged liver and a blood clot extending toward his heart. Many institutions considered him ineligible for treatment, but we developed a strategy using immunotherapy and targeted Y90 radiation as a bridge to transplant. His persistence and commitment were remarkable.”

After two years of immunotherapy and multiple Y90 radiation procedures, LaLuna became eligible for a liver transplant. On June 26, 2025, he received the call that changed his life.

 “They told me, ‘Can you be here by 7 p.m.?’ We jumped in the car and headed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital,” LaLuna recalled. “By removing the liver, there’s no more cancer. It’s like a miracle.”
 

Yazan Numan, MD

The importance of seeking a second opinion

Today, LaLuna is thriving. He works with horses at his family’s boarding facility, LaLuna Farms, and looks forward to spending the holidays with his wife, Melissa, and their loved ones.

“I’m grateful for every day,” LaLuna said. “Northwestern Medicine gave me a second chance, and I want people to know — never give up and always seek a second opinion.”

“Nick’s story is a testament to the power of advanced cancer care and the importance of perseverance,” Dr. Numan said. “Not every patient with liver cancer and extensive damage qualifies for transplant, but with the right approach, outcomes like this are possible.”
 

Nick La Luna after transplant cropped

About Northwestern Medicine Cancer Care

LaLuna was able to receive nearly all of his cancer care less than 45 minutes from his Kankakee home at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital and Northwestern Medicine St. George Cancer Institute.

The Orland Park cancer center offers hematology and medical oncology care, laboratory services, nutritional counseling and social work. A full-service infusion suite and specialty pharmacy provide onsite chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and supportive care. New cancer therapies are now available in the south suburbs through participation in clinical trials, before these treatments become more widely available.

For more information about the Northwestern Medicine St. George Cancer Institute, visit nm.org.