Patient Testimonials

Note: We're saddened to report that Richard Csarny died July 23, 2010 after a courageous battle with liver cancer. He lived every day with zest and was a beacon of hope and light to us all. His life and struggle is a model for others living with cancer.

Living With Cancer
Innovative Brachytherapy Treatment Effective in Treating Liver Cancer

Richard Csarny
Richard and Janet Csarny moved to Durham in 1998 to begin a new chapter in their lives together—to settle into a community where they would eventually retire. They have retired, but it didn’t happen as they had planned.

In early 2005, Richard was diagnosed with a pancreatic cyst. He underwent what he described as a fairly quick laparoscopic procedure, which also revealed cancer. The tumor was removed, and he felt healthy within a month. As a clinical social worker by profession, Richard knew that he was facing a life-altering disease.

Following surgery, he was told by doctors at Duke University Hospital that he had about a 50 percent chance of the cancer metastasizing to other organs. After extensive radiation therapy to his pancreas and many months of chemotherapy, Richard’s health improved.

While the chemotherapy made him “feel pretty much like a walking zombie, I lived each day because I wanted to get through this.” By late summer, he was able to discontinue the chemotherapy and continue to work at his counseling job at Duke. However, just four months later, cancer was discovered in the right lobe in his liver.

During this time, Richard returned to taking massive doses of chemotherapy drugs and spending many days at Duke. He also participated in a couple of clinical trials to help control the spread of the disease.

“By May 2008, I was told that I was out of options,” explained Richard. “While I had retained a positive attitude for most of the years of treatment, hope was much harder to have when I was told that nothing was on the horizon.”

That’s when a friend recommended that Richard might be a candidate for a newer procedure called liver brachytherapy and told him about Dr. Andrew Kennedy at Wake Radiology Oncology in Cary. The brachytherapy procedure places radioactive microscopic spheres into the liver, destroying cancerous cells while preserving adjacent healthy tissue. Patients first undergo a CT scan so that the proper dose of radiation can be delivered to the liver. During an outpatient procedure, a catheter is placed inside the liver’s main blood vessel, and the radioactive microspheres are inserted where they become embedded in the tumors and deliver continuous radiation for 14 days. The treatment can shrink tumors and stop the spread of disease. It is often an effective option for patients who are not candidates for additional chemotherapy or traditional radiation.

Richard had the first microsphere therapy treatment in June 2008, which initially resulted in some mild pain and nausea. After six weeks, the tumors were nearly all destroyed, and he was put on a maintenance dose of oral chemotherapy to help prevent the spread of any cancer in his system.

“Patients who are focused on getting better, who invest time and energy into their treatments and have a hopeful attitude, and a realistic one, in my experience have the best outcomes and tolerate therapy the best,” noted Dr. Kennedy. “That is not to say they don’t have sad days, frustrating times, and are free from complications—rather, they show tremendous strength and emotional focus and utilize their support systems to cope with the stress of receiving cancer therapy and dealing with the cancer diagnosis.”

Richard and Janet finally felt that they could fulfill a lifelong dream. They booked a cruise to Alaska and spent two weeks soaking up the sun and seeing magnificent scenery. For nearly fourteen months, Richard lived cancer free.

In October 2009, some additional tumors returned to his liver, but Dr. Kennedy was able to perform liver brachytherapy again. So far, the largest of the five tumors has shown signs of shrinking, and the smaller ones are nearly invisible. Richard is optimistic, but realistic, that he is living with cancer. However, he credits the brachytherapy procedure to adding quality years to his life.

“Cancer affects everyone in your family. It impacts you emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. The key is having a good support network, friends and loved ones who rally around you. I have that with my wonderful wife, friends and neighbors who have done everything from bringing us food to building garden boxes for us to enjoy.”

Janet says that from the beginning they decided to approach the disease as “our cancer.” She describes Richard as “a source of inspiration to all of us. A woman in their Duke GI Support Group has called him her ‘mentor,’ due to the wisdom gained through this journey. He is a beacon of hope to others.”