By Gary Galiher, Attorney
“You look fantastic” were the words from Dr. David Sugarbaker as he spoke to one of his patients only ten days post-op from having his right lung removed at the International Mesothelioma Program (IMP) in Boston. That patient, who is one of our clients, could not have been happier as he shared this news with his friends.
Survivability and Hope
Mesothelioma is a devastating disease. The prognosis for malignant mesothelioma is generally very grim. When first diagnosed with this disease, many patients are told there is no cure and little hope. But each year more and more recently diagnosed patients are finding their way to the International Mesothelioma Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston where for the first time they hear the word “survivability.”
That was the case with our client who was recently operated on by Dr. Sugarbaker. The doctors who had been treating him locally told him that they did not have the depth of experience with mesothelioma that could be found in Boston at the International Mesothelioma Program. With that knowledge, our client traveled to Boston to meet with Dr. Sugarbaker and his team. Our client said, “This was the first time I heard the word ’survivability’ and began to feel hopeful.”
Cutting-Edge Treatment
When they arrive in Boston, patients at the International Mesothelioma Program are given a battery of tests to confirm they are candidates for this cutting-edge surgical and chemotherapy treatment. Once this initial stage is completed, the patients are scheduled for their uniquely tailored surgical and chemotherapy protocol that depends on each individual’s tumor’s stage and location, as well as other complex individual factors. This was the case with our client who underwent a series of tests to confirm the diagnosis and to determine if surgery was the appropriate treatment. Because timing is critical, our client underwent surgery only days after his testing was completed.
Last year over 300 patients came to Boston to be treated by Dr. Sugarbaker and his team, over 160 of whom underwent surgery. The purpose of the surgery is to remove all of the tumor that the doctors can see and to follow this with chemotherapy treatment. The team of doctors at the International Mesothelioma Program have developed a unique way to improve the effectiveness of the surgery and their treatment. They administer a heated bath of chemotherapy drugs directly into the chest cavity after the operation is completed. This method of treatment enhances the effectiveness of the chemotherapy drugs to increase tumor cell death. Patients stay in Boston for weeks after their surgery as they travel the road to recovery.
Undeniable Message of Hope
The undeniable message and proof are both clear and powerful. Dr. David Sugarbaker has a very significant number of patients who are alive, living productive lives five and ten years post surgery. The numbers of mesothelioma survivors are growing every week, every month and every year. This medical decision is not without risks, as is any major surgery, but the upside is incredibly hopeful and the list of successful surgical survivors continues to grow.
I am very happy this treatment option is available to our clients in 2010. For the past 32 years, my law firm, Galiher DeRobertis Ono, has represented over 300 mesothelioma families who have dealt with this devastating disease. Unfortunately, this option was not available to the vast majority of them. But thanks to Dr. Sugarbaker and his team at the International Mesothelioma Program, “hope” and “survivability” are powerful new terms some of our clients can now embrace and use.
