Dr. Sugarbaker Advises 80-year-old MM Patient: "Think Years, Not Months." Newbury, MA
Archie Manoogian
I feel it important to let you know that through your web page I, an 80-year-old male diagnosed with mesothelioma, made contact by email with Dr. Sugarbaker (someone of whom I knew nothing and he was practically in my backyard!). Dr. Sugarbaker agreed to a consult at Brigham & Women's in Boston and while as a result of the consultation nothing remarkable or any treatment is scheduled for my mesothelioma, I felt that for the first time I was speaking with someone who is truly knowledgeable on the subject of mesothelioma.
My cancer was first detected in March '97. I was originally given 6 months to 2 years by the surgeon who probed internally in June '97 who had planned an extra pleural pneumonectomy, if feasible, which he decided on the operating table not to do. Later, after a consultation at Dana Farber recommended by my oncologist, I was told to expect a more limited 6 to 18 months.
It is now 10 months since the internal examination which resulted in the 6 month-2 years edict and catscans every three months since reveal minimal growth of the cancer. If nothing else the consultation with Dr. Sugarbaker has given me a new lease on life as he advised me, "Think years not months," and that he has mesothelioma patients who have survived as long as 8 years!
My thanks to you for your web page which led me to the Dr. Sugarbaker consultation and a more encouraging outlook.
Sincerely,
Archie Manoogian, <am3688@aol.com>
** POSTED MARCH 25, 1998 **
An Update on Archie - August 11, 1998
It appears that the honeymoon is over. The original cancer continues to be the slow growth type. But the new cancer that showed up for the first time 6 months ago is showing no mercy. Growth has been so rapid my only option, according to Dr. Sugarbaker, is a pleurectomy. Doing nothing is also an option but at the rate the cancer is growing I don't have much time. Heck of an option, huh?
Surgery scheduled for Sept. 3 at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston. Hopefully Dr. Sugarbaker himself will perform the surgery but I suppose his surgical team is well trained.
So there are going to be some rough days ahead. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.
Sincerely,
Archie Manoogian
** POSTED AUGUST 11, 1998 **
Mr. Worthington,
I am Archie Manoogian's daughter, Betsy, from Oklahoma. I wanted to let you know that he died peacefully last night, another victim of that nasty cancer, mesothelioma. I'm sure it's been a very long time since he's communicated with you. He's had a very frustrating time. Scans last summer indicated that he had a new growth close to his spine so Dr. Sugarbaker did a pleurectomy and resection on Sept. 24, 1998. At that time, Dr. Sugarbaker promised him "two good years". Even before the surgery, Dad was having a difficult time eating -- his stomach had begun to cause him great discomfort and nothing tasted right. Anxiety, we thought. After surgery, he went to rehab, then a nursing home to recover, and he came home on Nov. 16th, hopeful that familiar surroundings would inspire him to eat better and get back on his feet. He tried so hard! And how we pestered him about eating enough! But his family doctor now thinks that the cancer -- that which wasn't completely removed and a new cancer that had quietly begun growing -- was dumping toxins into his bloodstream and continually making him feel sick, unable to eat. He was admitted into the hospital on Jan. 1 and returned to the nursing home on Jan. 5. All of us were hopeful that the nursing home staff could stop his downslide. But scans that had been taken while he was in the hospital revealed that there was a new cancer, an aggressive one, in the vicinity of his heart, so our goal was simply to make him comfortable. He died just 3 weeks after we'd gotten him admitted into the hospital.
Despite Dr. Sugarbaker's promise, I think Dad would probably have had the surgery anyway. But it's a drastic procedure, especially difficult to recover from at 81 years of age, and no one can predict what cancer is going to do. Dad spent 3 very frustrating months trying desperately to claim the "good time" that he'd been promised. My only regret was that Dr. Sugarbaker wasn't more honest with him. When we first researched mesothelioma on the Internet, we read everything you had to say about it. Most everything we read or were told indicated a life expectancy of 6-18 months, regardless of what treatment or procedure was tried,. Dad had really hoped he'd be an exception. He died 19 months after his diagnosis.
What can I say? We're devastated but he's now in a better place. Keep up the good work educating folks. Maybe, someday, there will be more hope -- realistic hope -- that doctors can offer these people.
How desperately we had hoped that Dad wouldn't just end up to be another statistic. Thanks to the page you'd posted about him on the Internet, he "met" some very nice people, one of whom I'm still corresponding with. Her father had the same surgery last July and he died in November. His difficulties with eating were virtually identical to my Dad's. Again, I'm truly grateful for the tremendous service you are doing with the Internet articles and profiles. Mr. Worthington's sites were the best, most up-to-date sources of information we ever found regarding mesothelioma. Let's hope that someday the prognosis is more encouraging.
Betsy Banks
** POSTED JANUARY 26, 1999 **