The Beginning

Many of you know my Dad, Ken, the way my family knows and loves him; someone who always has a smile on his face, genuinely cares for others, and is giving and compassionate to everyone. A dedicated and loving father, brother, uncle, and best friend to all. His best and most important role in life is being DAD.

Dad is a fighter! In 2008 he underwent chemotherapy treatment for non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma and luckily went into remission. His disease returned one year later. He then went on to have more treatment followed by an allogenic bone marrow transplant in 2010. Dad has also survived two heart attacks- the first in 2009 and second in 2017, with a total of three stent placements.

In May of 2023, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called angiosarcoma, which forms in the lining of blood and lymph vessels. In his case, it formed in his liver, which is the worst and most aggressive angiosarcoma.

Cancer is a disease that no one deserves to experience, not even once.

Cancer takes just about everything from you. But my dad will not let it take his strength.

 

Here is a recap on the last year of his fight:

 

• May 9, 2023: diagnosed with hepatic angiosarcoma

• May 16, 2023: he started his first chemotherapy treatment for the sarcoma called AIM: Adriamycin, Ifosfamide and Mensa.

• He was discharged from the hospital after treatment at the end of that week; but then was re-admitted to the hospital for fevers and neutropenia (low white blood cell counts) on Thursday, May 25th 2023.

• On June 3, 2023 he was discharged home

• On June 24, 2023 we had the BEST cancer fundraising benefit we could ever imagine, set up by our family and friends. Dad got to go and enjoy himself and see all the love and support he is surrounded by.

• On Monday, May 26, 2023 we met with the surgical oncologist to see if surgery was an option for his treatment plan; unfortunately it was not.

• On July 25, 2023 my brother, Kevin, and I took dad to Dana Farber Cancer Institute and met with a Sarcoma specialist as well as a surgical oncologist. Both agreed with Smilow Cancer Hospital's recommendations to continue IV chemotherapy at this time, and that surgery was not an option. Liver transplant was also not an option due to the aggressive nature of the disease.

• On August 7, 2023 Dad started a new chemotherapy regimen called Taxol. He received this weekly x2 weeks and then had a week off.

• He continued with Taxol until November 6, 2023 when he had a scan that showed the disease was worsening.

• On November 20, 2023 he started another new treatment called liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil). He received Doxil every 4 weeks for 4 months.

• On March 12, 2024 he had an MRI which showed disease progression.

• Dr. Deshpande (his medical oncologist) decided it was time to change to a different treatment, again.

• Dad, Kevin, Dr. Deshpande, and I had a long discussion about which treatment option would be best. The bone marrow transplant team was also consulted to make this decision due to his prior history of allo stem cell transplant.

• After multiple lines of chemotherapy that seemed to be doing more damage to his body than the disease, we all decided on a "Hail Mary" called Nivolumab. (Nivolumab is IV immunotherapy given once every 4 weeks). The plan was also to add an oral medication called Cabozantinib once things stabilized.

• He received his first treatment of Nivolumab on March 21, 2024.

• On April 6th, 2024 he had the time of his life at his daughter's wedding. He walked me down the aisle, he danced, he laughed and he cried. And he never felt tired the entire time. (or if he did, no one knew).