‘Roco’s illness curable’

The bone metastasis which Alyansa ng Pag-asa standard-bearer Raul Roco is suffering from is "curable," his campaign manager emphasized yesterday.

Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan noted that there is a difference between bone cancer and bone metastasis, according to the medical profession. He said that while bone cancer is one of the "deadliest" forms of cancer, bone metastasis is easily curable, especially when diagnosed and treated early.

"And when you say bone cancer, the primary site is the bone," he said.

Galvez-Tan, a former health secretary, explained that Roco suffered from early metastasis of cancer to the bone, not bone cancer. "Definitely, it’s not cancer of the bone. It’s entirely different."

Last Thursday, Galvez-Tan said the pain that Roco felt in his lower back was caused by the metastasis or spread of cancer cells to his pelvic or vertebral bone.

The cancerous cells originated from Roco’s prostate gland, which had been removed in 1996. But some cells remained circulating in his body until they reached a bone in his lower back.

Galvez-Tan maintained that Roco’s bone metastasis was found at a "very early stage" and American doctors were able to treat it successfully during Roco’s two-week stay in the United States recently.

"It had been detected very early. Hindi kumalat. Para lang may tumalsik na konti sa buto at madali namang naalis (It did not spread. It’s as if some cancer cells just splattered to the bone and were easily removed)," he added.

Galvez-Tan said Roco is fit to pursue his presidential bid as attested to by his American physician, Larry Hauskin of Christus St. Patrick Hospital in Ryan, Lake Charles, Los Angeles.

"The lengthy interval between Mr. Roco’s primary problem and his late recurrence predicts for a benign behavior of this problem in the future. After extensive tests, we confirm this to be so," Hauskin stated in his certification.

Hauskin added that "appropriate measures have been taken to assure Mr. Roco a speedy resolution of his symptoms so he can proceed unencumbered in the discharge of his duties as a public servant."

Galvez-Tan’s statement was corroborated by Dr. Brix Pujalte, an orthopedic surgeon at the Philippine Orthopedic Center, who insisted that "bone cancer is not metastatic disease of the bone."

"Orthopedic surgeons split hairs when it comes to identifying and labeling cancer. For instance, we differentiate passionately between the bone cancer and metastasis (or the spread of cancer cells from an original site to an adjacent or distant location). It is the difference that devastates or gives hope," Pujalte said.

He added that bone cancer "devastates both doctor and patient" because the "presuppositions" are that the cancer is primarily from bone and that the cancer probably referred to is "multiple myeloma," the most common malignant tumor of the bone.

"To be told one has bone cancer is in the next breath to be told that it is a matter of time before there is, as the textbook lists, ‘anemia, debility, infection, renal failure and occasionally, myelopathy‚ or compression of the spinal cord or nerves leading to weakness,’" Pujalte said.

He maintained that bone metastasis, on the other hand, "needs to be qualified to give hope."

"Hope for treatment, even cure is the reward for those who dare to ask the hard questions. Where did the metastasis come from? Where is the lesion now and how large is it? What is the lesion doing to the bone? What is the bone doing to the lesion?," Pujalte asked.

The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center’s website said that when cancer cells metastasize to the bone, they can cause holes — called osteolytic lesions — that can weaken the bones and increase the risk of breakage.

Alyansa supporters have threatened to sue The STAR over the use of the headline, "Roco suffers from bone cancer," specifically on the use of the term "bone cancer."

Since a banner headline requires brevity, the headline writer chose the most concise way of saying Roco’s prostate cancer cells had metastasized to his bones, as reported by Galvez-Tan, a former health secretary.

On ANC’s "Impact 2004" last night, STAR publisher and chairman of the board Max V. Soliven called the STAR headline "horrible."

Galvez-Tan earlier claimed that Roco had already been cured during his two-week stay in United States but he still has to undergo "maintenance" treatment of zolendronic acid on May 15 and every month thereafter.

Zolendronic acid helps reduce bone pain, slow down bone damage caused by the cancer, reduce hypercalcemia (high blood calcium levels because calcium is released from damaged bones), and lower the risk of bone fractures.

As for Roco’s condition, Pujalte said these questions "have been asked and answered by the experts abroad."

He said Hauskins’ assessment "cannot be clearer" and "the fact remains too that treatment has been started for whatever recurrence discovered."

"When one’s doctor is optimistic and hopeful, it is reasonable to expect the patient to feel the same way," he maintained.