Michael Kahn Michael A Kahn

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Dear Family and Friends,

As you know, I've been fightingMCL (Mantel Cell Lymphoma) since December 2015. I've outlived my doctor's initial 6-month prognosis by 9 months.

I learned on Tuesday February 21 that my MCL has taken a new and aggressively negative form. After reviewing the biopsy of a new abdominal mass, my oncologist told me all traditional chemo's and meds would not work against this aggressive new form of MCL.

He said I had one of two choices. Take nothing, prepare for palliative care and hospice with maximum3-month prognosis. Or two, right away take an aggressive new combination therapy of chemo's, in hopes of killing the cancer and stopping the tumor. He made very clear the new protocol, still in experimental phases, has never been tried on anyone older 60 years of age, has serious side effects, including death, and no guarantee of success. But if it is successful, I could have another 3 years or so of life.

He compared my situation to being in a concentration camp, knowing death was guaranteed within 3 months. I could stay inside and face a certain death. Or, I could try to escape, knowing it would be dangerous and I might get shot and killed by the guards. But the only way out of the camp and having a chance to live is to try to escape. 

I choose to try to escape MCL. I got a pet scan and an echo exam on Wednesday, and on Thursday February 23 I entered Sylvester Hospital for 21 days, hopefully with more treatment cycles to come.

Your wonderful thoughts and support have been helpful medicine.

Michael