Dr. Mel Goldstein, Surviving and Thriving: A
Patient's Perspective
August 9, 2009
Welcome to Yale Cancer Center Answers with Drs. Ed Chu and Francine Foss, I am Bruce Barber. Dr. Chu is Deputy Director and Chief of Medical Oncology at Yale Cancer Center and an internationally recognized expert on colorectal cancer. Dr. Foss is a Professor of Medical Oncology and Dermatology and she is an expert in the treatment of lymphomas. If you would like to join in the discussion, you can contact the doctors directly. The address is canceranswers@yale.edu and the phone number is 1888-234-4YCC. This evening Ed Chu welcomes TV meteorologist Dr. Mel Goldstein. Dr. Mel was diagnosed with multiple myeloma 13 years ago and has kept a positive outlook throughout. He has continued to broadcast his morning weather reports while becoming a vocal advocate for cancer research and care.
Chu
Dr. Mel it's a great pleasure and honor for us to have you on the
show this evening.
Goldstein
Dr. Chu, I can't tell you the honor that I feel. When I was
diagnosed with this disease, we are talking 13 years ago now, the
median length of survival was 2-1/2 years and here it is 13 years
later and you and I are talking, and we are such good friends.
Chu
It really has been a remarkable journey, and I have to say, I
always enjoy being on the show with you talking about cancer
survivorship and the importance of cancer research.
Goldstein
The advances have been huge, absolutely huge. Nobody wants
cancer. Cancer is a terrible disease. There is no way
of describing it any other way, nobody wants cancer, but I have to
say that today, with the treatments that we have available to us,
there is a whole new life for us. There is a whole new life
that we never had before. Thirteen years ago, I had options
of chemo or more chemo, but now, we have targeted treatments.
We have new developments that are extending people's lives longer
than anybody ever thought possible, people are living longer, they
are living better, they are feeling better, and they are seeing
their families grow up. It is just a remarkable time.
Chu
Dr. Mel, I'm going to take us back a little bit so that we can
tell our listeners who may not be familiar with your story, 13
years ago, when you were first given the diagnosis of cancer, what
kind of cancer you were diagnosed with? And also, as you
know, a lot of times when people are given the diagnosis of caner
they are scared, they are frightened, and in some cases, they feel
like it may be a death sentence that has been placed upon
them. So take us through what you were going through when you
were first diagnosed with the cancer.
Goldstein
I will tell you, I had tremendous pain in my back and that was my
symptom, very-very bad back pain, and who would think that back
pain has anything to do with cancer; I didn't certainly. I
went to various doctors, I went to orthopedic specialists, I went
to chiropractors, and nobody could seem to pin down exactly what it
was that I was dealing with. Eventually, blood work was done and it
was found that in my blood I had these abnormal proteins
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which are cancer cells, and these cancer cells were growing at a
tremendous rate. A biopsy was done of my bone marrow and 85%,
Dr. Chu, 85% of my bone marrow was covered with cancer at that
time. And do you know that today, 13 years later, there are no
cancer cells in that bone marrow.
Chu
You have had a remarkable journey and just to drill down the
specific type of cancer you have, it is called multiple
myeloma.
Goldstein
Yeah, it's called multiple myeloma and it is related to the
abnormal growth of certain proteins that crowd out the good
proteins that keep your immune system intact. It is the type of
protein that will slowly deteriorate the bones in your vertebrae,
for example. I have had every vertebrae in my back either
broken or shattered over the years and I have shrunk 7 to 8
inches. To think of that people say, oh, Dr. Mel, you must
have had a lot of pain, it must have been very difficult for
you. Of course there is pain involved, the types of
treatments that we now have available to us can alleviate not just
the pain, but really get at the source of the cancer itself and
once you get at the source of the cancer, the pain is going to go
away as well. I am walking 2 miles everyday. Dr. Chu, I
have never been better.
Chu
And I have to say, you have never looked better.
Goldstein
Thank you.
Chu
When people are given this diagnosis of cancer, a lot of times
they get very down or negative, but you are the complete opposite
of that. You are always upbeat, you are always very positive,
you are very enthusiastic. Can you tell our listeners the
secret to that success?
Goldstein
Yes, this is key to dealing with ones cancer. I feel you have to
have a lot of faith. Faith is important. I put that
number 1 on my list. If you have a lot of faith, you have
energy to go about your day and start thinking clearly about what
you have to do to make yourself better, and there are ways that you
can do that. The way that you go about making yourself feel better
is finding the best care possible, and I was fortunate at Yale to
come and have oncologists who understood this disease very
well. I remember going to my doctor and saying, how am I
going to go from this disease and the answer was, well where are
you going? You are not going anywhere; you are going to be
here. You have got to have that energy to find the very best
there is. Now, when Yale didn't have exactly what I needed, I
went to Cleveland, I went to Boston, I went to West
Virginia, I went to wherever I had to go to try to find the right
exact treatment for what was zeroing in on my immune system and
attacking me, and you cannot be content by just going to the doctor
down the street.
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Chu
Dr. Mel, how did you do that? Did you work with your
physicians at Yale to find these different places?
Goldstein
Absolutely, and this is one of the unique things about Yale.
If they don't have it, they will get it and they will find it for
you. I needed to be on a particular trial for a brand new
drug and the first drug that I was on was called thalidomide. It is
a drug with a reputation of being very-very serious; it caused a
lot of birth defects back in the 50s and 60s, but those
characteristics that cut off the blood supply to growing fetuses,
also cut off blood supply to growing cancer cells, and I saw the
possibility in this, so I went to my doctor and I said can we do
this? It was purely experimental and there were 25 people who were
doing this in Arkansas and we managed somehow to get this drug and
to try to figure out what the dose level should be, which was very
difficult to do because it was so experimental, but after 2 years,
it worked really well. Then there was a derivative, a new kind of
targeted therapy that was derived from the thalidomide called
Revlimid, and we did not have it at Yale at the time, but Dr.
DeVita, who was the head of Yale Cancer Center at the time said,
look, I want you to go up to Boston because they are working on a
trial with Revlimid and it seems to be doing pretty well. It
was a phase 1 trial, and phase 1 trials are very vigorous, I don't
recommend phase 1 trials unless you really, really want it, and I
really really wanted it. But phase 1 trials are pretty harsh,
and so, I went on a phase 1 trial, there were 25 of us in the whole
country and the results were phenomenal. Over a very short
period of time my cancer level went down 50%, and I have been on
that same drug Revlimid ever since, and we are talking at least 10
years and it has had some remarkable results for me, it has kept me
alive, but it is because of the cooperation that you find among
good doctors. You might say, I am a little bit hesitant to
get a second opinion because I don't want to insult the doctor, he
is a very good doctor and I like the doctor a lot, but if a doctor
is worth anything at all, the doctor will want to learn about new
methods, new techniques, and new medications. So by all means, this
is what you should be seeking out and the good doctors here at Yale
really encourage you to do that, but as time goes on, everything
changes, and with the Smilow Cancer Hospital coming along at Yale I
think there is going to be less and less traveling of Dr. Mel and
other people because we are going to have such facilities here.
Chu
I always love to see you first thing in the morning when you come
and visit us in the clinic. But that is an important message
that you raised Dr. Mel, and that is I always hear from patients
and friends and family members that sometimes they are reluctant to
approach their doctor and say maybe I should seek a second or third
opinion, and I think there is a brotherhood, and we all work very
closely together and at the end of the day, it is what is in the
best interest of the patient.
Goldstein
That is exactly right, and this is what we try to do and this is
what we strive to do. My goal
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in life is to give hope to other cancer patients. I feel that there is a future for us, there are ways of dealing with our cancers that we never had before and cancer certainly is something that now we don't necessarily want to have, but is something we are going to be able to live with better and live longer and more fulfilling lives than ever thought possible before.
Chu
Certainly Dr. Mel, you are living proof of all the advances that
have been made in cancer research and certainly you practice what
you preach.
Goldstein
Don't stop, that is my advice. That is the chief advice that
I have for other people, so please don't stop. Keep
going. No matter what your diagnosis is. Thank God for
every day and make the best of what that day has to offer.
Chu
On that note, we are going to take a break for a medical
minute. You are listening to Yale Cancer Center Answers and I
am here in the studio this evening with our guest expert, Dr. Mel
Goldstein, weatherman extraordinaire who is with us today not
discussing his favorite topic, which is weather, but rather sharing
his very compelling story of cancer survivorship.
Chu
Welcome back to Yale Cancer Center Answers. This is Dr. Ed
Chu and I am here in the studio this evening with our guest Dr. Mel
Goldstein who is chief meteorologist of Channel 8 News and
Weather. Dr. Mel, we were talking before the break about how
you keep going and always have a very positive attitude.
Goldstein
Yes.
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Chu
Clearly, it's very important as anyone deals with the diagnosis of
cancer.
Goldstein
Yes. There are 3 items, stay busy, stay busy, and stay
busy. That really is important to me. I could have
easily retired many many years ago from what I was doing and I have
cut back a lot on some of my activities because of the physical
limitations that I have, but I haven't stopped and a few years ago
I wrote TheComplete Idiot's Guide to Weather,
and it was a very successful book and all the proceeds that I got
from the book came to Yale Cancer Center, and I am so proud that I
just finished another book; it took 2-1/2 years to write.
Chu
Wow!
Goldstein
It is Dr. Mel's Connecticut Climate Book. It goes
all the way back to the time of the pilgrims and the kind of
weather that they experienced when they came upon these shores and
all the kinds of weather that has happened since then. I go
into the blizzard of 1988, the hurricane of 1938, all the
hurricanes that we had in the 50s, the storms, the snow in the 60s
and the 70s; there is some of climate changes in there and the last
time there was a book written about anything of Connecticut climate
was back in the early to mid 60s. So you are talking about
something that hasn't been updated in decades and decades. I was
very happy to be able to put this book together and it is going to
be out this month. We will be doing book signings in September at
R.J. Julia among other places around Connecticut and again, all the
proceeds for this book are going to Yale Cancer Center,
specifically for the Dr. Mel Myeloma Research Fund.
Chu
Terrific! On behalf of the Cancer Center, we want to thank
you for all of the efforts, all of your support, and certainly, all
of your donations to the Dr. Mel Myeloma Research Fund, because
that is critically important for allowing our scientists and our
clinicians to pursue the latest in the battle against multiple
myeloma.
Goldstein
Yeah, it's a complicated disease. I talk to different patients all
the time and people have a manifestation of this disease in
different ways. Not everybody is impacted the same way.
Some people are impacted through their liver and through their
kidneys. I am severely impacted by my bones, and it so
interesting that when I go out and talk to people they say, Dr.
Mel, you look so much shorter than when you were on TV. Well,
I shrunk 7 or 8 inches but I always tell them I am still at least
that much above ground and I am not going anywhere. I am still
going to be here, and after this book is finished and is out, I
have a third book that is coming along.
Chu
What is that going to be about?
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Goldstein
It is going to be sketches of strength. It is going to be
about people who have lived far longer and far better than they
ever thought possible regardless of their diagnosis because of the
way that we are able to survive cancer these days and the
importance of survivorship. I hope to be able to have that
put together within a couple of years and tie it not only to the
profiles of these people, but also to medical aspects of where they
can find good treatment and where the best treatment lies and why
things work and others don't. It is going to be more of a
medical book than a meteorological book, but it goes back to my own
philosophy, Dr. Mel, you don't stop and you keep going each day.
God gave you a blessing and it truly is and you live it to its
fullest and don't worry about the 8-day forecast because who knows
what is going to happen 8 days from now, or 80 days. So many
people ask what the weather is going to be like in 3 months; if I
can get the forecast right in a couple of days, I am happy, so I
think short term.
Chu
As I recall, the blizzard of 1988 wasn't quite on the forecast of
many of the meteorologists in the region.
Goldstein
No, no. I loved the blizzard of 1988. That was quite a
storm. The whole state of Connecticut was closed down because
of the huge storm that we had and the piles of snow. One of
the nice things about New England is that there isn't a form of
weather on the face of the earth that we fail to get. We get
ice storms, we get blizzards, we get tornadoes, we get hurricanes;
you name it, we get it and maybe that is what gets me up in the
morning. I don't want to miss a thing.
Chu
Absolutely. Dr. Mel, you have a website that is an
incredible resource for patients with multiple myeloma. Can you
tell us a little bit about that?
Goldstein
It's called drmelmyeloma.com and this is a website that gives
suggestions about where people can find medical care for multiple
myeloma and also where they can find stories about people who have
lived some very remarkable lives; I am fascinated by the
stories. They are terrific because they are inspiring to us,
and when we read these stories, we realize well, if it can happen
for these people, it can happen for me as well, and I am going to
live my life and I am going to be as happy as I possibly can and be
thankful for it. It delves into some of the medical aspects
as well as the survivorship aspects of living with cancer, but
living with cancer in a way that is a lot better than you ever
thought possible.
Chu
That is an important point to emphasize because as you say, we
have come so far in the last 10 to 15 years in our understanding of
how cancer rises but also, how we can treat the
symptoms of cancer, and how we can treat the consequences of the
various treatments that are offered.
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Goldstein
Look, it's not easy. I mean, it would be naïve for me to
say that the treatments that I have had have been easy. I am
just getting off right now a series of high-dose steroids that I
have had to take for a week, which really takes a lot of you.
It takes a lot of energy, you don't sleep well, and it makes you a
bit irritable. Do I sound irritable?
Chu
You never sound irritable.
Goldstein
And it's not an easy treatment. But I'll tell you, it works,
and what do you have in return? You have your life, and what
could be more precious than that? So why complain?
Chu
Terrific! So, you are working on the sketches book, which
hopefully will be out in a year or so. The next thing is your
Dr. Mel's Connecticut Climate Book, which is going to be
coming out this month, in August.
Goldstein
And I am going to be all over the state signing this book.
The book signing is everywhere. So you have got to come out
and see me and we will chat.
Chu
You should check certainly. I know my wife is a big fan of
the R. J Julia bookstore and I think you can go on their website
and find out when Dr. Mel will be there.
Goldstein
Yeah, it will be in the beginning of September.
Chu
You have so many different things going on, but are there any
other projects that may be in the works?
Goldstein
Well, I love music.
Chu
Yes, that is right. You are a Jazz Aficionado as I
recall.
Goldstein
People like to call me that. To me, music is very important
and I hope some day as I slow down in some of my things that I am
doing that I have the opportunity to get a little bit better at
music and start writing some tunes that are just bouncing around in
my head. Music is a tremendous expression and jazz is one of
those very unique to America art forms. It takes a lot of
talent to do it right. I don't know if I have the talent, but
I sure have the interest and of course I have my family, and a
wonderful family. I have a wonderful advocate at home with
Arlene who helps me navigate through all that I have to navigate
through and I have a great grandson who just fills my eyes with
pleasure whenever I see him come to my house. He is 6 years old
right now and growing up faster right before my very eyes.
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Chu
Your true moon and stars.
Goldstein
That's absolutely right.
Chu
Dr. Mel, in the brief time we have left can you give a parting
message to our listeners out there.
Goldstein
Don't give up. Don't ever give up. No is not part of
your dictionary and each day is the most important day of your life
and you are going to live it to the absolute fullest. Please don't
worry about next week, or 2 weeks from now, or 2 years from
now. I have had friends who would say things to me, they are
in the car business, and they have contracts that are longer than
my life expectancy, and I say, why do you worry about that?
That is meaningless. What is important is to be able to look
outside, breathe the air, see the sky, feel what is out there and
say that this day is going to be a very productive one for
me. Maybe I will write, maybe I will listen to music, maybe I
will play some music, maybe I will go fishing with the grandson,
maybe I will try to build something today. Life comes to us
once around and you have got to be there, you cannot let go, you
have got to be pretty selfish about it.
Chu
Those are terrific words, not only to cancer survivors, cancer
patients, but really all of us should live each and every day to
the fullest.
Goldstein
We take advantage and we take for granted so much of what there is
when we are feeling well. When we do have a serious illness
it heightens our awareness of the importance, the real importance
of life and prioritizes the things that are absolutely vital to our
existence.
Chu
Dr. Mel, you have been an inspiration to me, and certainly to
everyone in the state of Connecticut, and again, I would just like
to thank you for all of your tremendous efforts on behalf of cancer
research and all of your efforts and support of what is going on at
Yale Cancer Center.
Goldstein
And remember what I say, at the end of the day what's most
important is what you do for other people.
Chu
Absolutely, well Dr. Mel, again as always, it has been great
having you on the show. You have been listening to Yale
Cancer Center Answers, and again, I would like to thank our
special guest, Dr. Mel, for joining me this evening. Until
next time, I am Ed Chu from Yale Cancer Center wishing you a safe
and healthy week.
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If you have questions or would like to share your comments, go to yalecancercenter.org where you can also subscribe to our podcast and find written transcripts of past programs. I am Bruce Barber and you are listening to the WNPR Health Forum from Connecticut Public Radio.