Aggressive tools for an aggressive cancer
Gene Mazzetti ’ s abdominal pain started in December 2020 . By January , it was so severe , it sent him to the emergency room . Over the next few weeks , he had blood tests , a sonogram , a CT scan , an EKG , and a colonoscopy . None of which revealed the source of his pain .
Gene suspected it might be peritoneal mesothelioma , a rare form of cancer that both his mother and father had , so his colonoscopist sent him to a surgeon for abdominal biopsies .
Three days later Gene heard what no one wants to hear : his suspicion was correct .
He immediately made an appointment with AHN ’ s lead surgical oncology team to discuss his options . The team , led by Dr . Patrick Wagner , determined that the best course of attack was to remove the cancer surgically , then apply heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy ( HIPEC ), which is chemo circulated in the abdomen at high temperature during surgery to kill any remaining cancer that can ’ t be seen .
“ There ’ s no doubt I ’ m in the best hands . I trust Dr . Wagner in everything . I told him that , too . I won ’ t forget .”
– GENE MAZZETTI
“ I was surprised at how quickly they moved ,” Gene says . “ The nurse called days later and said there ’ s an opening , come in . It happened so fast , but I knew exactly what Dr . Wagner was going to do and how he was going to do it . I had the utmost confidence that he was going to get it done .”
The combined surgery and chemotherapy treatment took seven hours , and Gene stayed in the hospital for a week .
“ Dr . Wagner came by to see me every day ,” Gene said . “ He reassured me that I was doing great . That was a real boost , because I wasn ’ t feeling like I was .”
His team of caregivers remained in constant touch after he went home . “ They kept track of me every day ,” Gene said , laughing . “ They were adamant about making sure I did what I was supposed to .”
Today he ’ s pain-free and back in his woodshop , crafting furniture and blacksmithing iron and stone sculptures .
He is receiving preventive immunotherapy infusions every three weeks to keep the cancer at bay , which he ’ s grateful for . “ There ’ s no doubt I ’ m in the best hands ,” he said . “ I trust Dr . Wagner in everything . I told him that , too . I won ’ t forget .”
READ MORE OF GENE ’ S STORY AT WWW . AHN . ORG / WEST-PENN-STORIES .