Tony Chomo: A Candid Glimpse

Tony and his wife, Janet, moved from Massachusetts to California in 1977. The day finally came when Tony, a career maintenance worker and licensed plumber, had all he could take of the brutal East Coast winters. The family, now consisting of four grown children and nine grandchildren, settled in Simi Valley and has been there ever since.

In August 2006, Tony was involved in a motorcycle accident. But, his injuries seemed minor, and Tony went home. One month later, he found himself having a hard time breathing normally. Fearing a medical problem, Tony went to the emergency room at Northridge Hospital. An EKG ruled out a heart attack, but fluid was found surrounding his lung. The doctor drained the effusion. The next week, his doctor announced that tests on the fluid revealed abnormal mesothelial cancer cells. The diagnosis was malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Finding the Best Treatment Possible

A friend told Tony about Dr. Robert Cameron at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. Dr. Cameron, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at UCLA and head of its mesothelioma program, saw Tony in October 2006. After reviewing the reports from Northridge Hospital, Dr. Cameron ordered new tests to confirm the diagnosis of mesothelioma. Tony and Dr. Cameron met again to discuss surgery and other treatment options.

For Tony, the eternal optimist, the family provider, the rock of stability who could nonetheless let loose on the open road atop 1200cc’s of throaty motorcycle muscle, the options seemed slim. Mesothelioma has no “cure” in the sense that a medical procedure or combination of drugs can make it go away forever. In fact, many inexperienced physicians regard mesothelioma as “hopeless” and recommend no treatment whatsoever.

Dr. Cameron, however, reviewed the options with Tony in a compassionate yet objective and forthright way. They discussed the differences between EPP and pleurectomy with decortication (P/D) surgery, and talked about treating mesothelioma as a chronic condition which Tony would have to deal with the remainder of his life—like high blood pressure or diabetes. The focus became choosing a treatment that would hopefully extend life and, even more importantly, extend the quality of life.
Tony chose to undergo a pleurectomy with decortication surgery on January 9, 2007. Prior to the surgery, Tony and his family enjoyed a wonderful Christmas together, taking special meaning from the opportunity to be together. 

Fighting Back

Dr. Cameron performed the pleurectomy with decortication and removed all visible tumor attached to Tony’s chest cavity and organs. Tony required ten days of recovery in the hospital. Dr. Cameron described Tony’s medical condition and surgery in detail:

“Well, I talked to them [Tony and Jan] on the phone after we finally got the confirmation that this was mesothelioma. And I told him that he was otherwise fit and had no other medical problems, which is one reason why people can’t have surgery. If someone’s heart is bad or has a history of strokes and other problems, he or she can’t undergo general anesthesia and consequently can’t have surgery.

“But Tony was otherwise fit. He had disease that appeared to be limited just to that part of the chest and did not have obvious spread to his lymph nodes. So he seemed to be actually quite a good candidate to have the pleurectomy with decortication procedure done, so I recommended that.

“During the pleurectomy with decortication, some things are removed like part of the diaphragm is removed that’s touching the tumor. Routinely, we remove lymph nodes that are in the area of the lung and the middle of the chest to see where the tumor has spread. We try not to remove the lining of the heart, however. The pleura, which is the lining of the lung, butts up against the lining of the heart. And both are similar types of lining cells. So you can get tumor into the heart sac, which is not a good thing because then the tumor spreads directly onto the heart. So we purposely try not to go into that heart sac but remove tumor off that, which is somewhat tedious.

“Tony responded reasonably well. Many people have problems with abnormal heart rhythms, pain, coughing up phlegm, and that kind of thing. But he seemed to get through that reasonably well. He’s a pretty strong person.

“Then Tony did radiation on the body. What’s really tricky about radiation is that you technically want to radiate every place where the tumor was present. But that involves every single surface of the lung, the diaphragm, the middle of the chest and the ribs. That’s a big area. Also, the lung itself is very sensitive to radiation damage. So you have to have a lot of fancy treatment planning to be able to deliver radiation to all those areas and yet not hurt the lung.”

Tony is proud to say he has not taken any prescription pain medication since February 2007. He feels soreness and occasional numbness at the incision site but manages it without medication. In June 2007 he finished radiation with Dr. Michael Selch at UCLA. By July 2007 he started the next phase of treatment, daily injections of interferon alpha. Initially he felt tired and fatigued from the injections, but this has since improved.

In November 2007, Tony grew concerned when a CT scan revealed possible fluid in the lower left lung.  However, there was not fluid development, instead air had accumulated and part of his lung was collapsed.  Inflammation due to radiation was still visible, but this has since improved, as well. There is currently no sign that the cancer has spread either.  Tony has monthly comprehensive blood tests along with scans and the Mesomark blood test every three months.

Tony tries to go on walks two to three days a week to stay active. He tires easily and notices significantly decreased breathing capacity. He loves riding his motorcycle with his buddies whenever he gets a chance and has gone on several bike rides with a friend in the mountains and in Ojai.

A Loving Couple

Tony and Jan continue their active and adventurous lifestyle. They own Harley-Davidson and Suzuki motorcycles and enjoy taking the motorcycles on tours and trips. Prior to becoming motorcycle enthusiasts, they owned boats and would go scuba diving. A seasoned dirt bike rider, Tony enjoys the thrill of showing his grandchildren how to ride off-road.  And, no job or occupation is as dear to Tony as the role of “Grandpa.” The Chomos’ home is daily filled with the laughter, chatter, and inevitable caterwauling that comes from babysitting robust youngsters.

Prior to his diagnosis, Tony had no plans of retiring. He loved his job and the satisfaction it brought of doing a job well and providing for his family. Since his surgery and radiation, Tony cut out work completely which was one of the hardest adjustments. Tony’s life has changed, but he faces those changes with fortitude and optimism. His surgery has given him a lease on life he might not otherwise have, and each day spent with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren is precious indeed.