Patient Stories

"My family and I thank the wonderful people at M.D.Anderson for giving me a new life....twice."

--Stephen D. Silver

In March 1989, at the age of 48, I was diagnosed with CML and given a very somber prognosis. My choices were few. Different leukemia specialists gave me conflicting and sometimes wrong advice outright..
 
Before starting what would have been a fatal program proposed by two other doctors, I learned of the work of the great Dr. Moshe Talpaz. My wife and I flew out to see him from our home in Montreal, Canada. Dr. Talpaz put me on high dose Alpha Interferon, and for the next nine years, my wife injected me with the drug daily. I visited Dr. Talpaz every three months for many years. The ongoing side effects were overwhelming. But I managed to overcome them and was able to build a family and a business despite the sword hanging over me. Every new day was a miracle.
 
By 1998, I had been virtually free of the Philadelphia chromosome for some years, and was looking forward to a more or less normal life.
 
But my problems were not over. I was then diagnosed with colon cancer. I returned to Anderson for surgery by the wonderful Dr. Lee Ellis. Turned out to be Duke's C. More chemotherapy and more worry.
 
But I persevere and, so far, I find myself free of any evidence of recurrence, though, of course, things can change and I take nothing for granted.

Stephen welcomes correspondence from other cancer patients and survivors.
email: ssilver@waldentesting.com
Phone: (514) 931-2345