health
Help Is Now Closer
Patient with rare
cancer finds
care, support
at Karmanos’
Weisberg Center.
ELIZABETH A. KATZ
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
ABOVE: Jeff Levinson, center,
is flanked by two of his friends,
Howard Katz, left, and Marc
Rosenzweig. All three men
are members of Karmanos’
Men’s Networking Group,
which provides support and
information for men who have
been diagnosed with cancer.
54
May 18 • 2017
F
M.D., leader of the Myeloma and
or many cancer survivors who have
Amyloidosis Multidisciplinary Subteam
been cured of their disease, there
at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer
is often worry that the disease will
Institute in Farmington Hills. Zonder not
return.
Jeff Levinson, 57, of Bloomfield Township only treats solitary isolated plasmacytoma
and multiple myeloma, but other
has gone through two
rare cancers including amyloi-
bouts of Solitary Isolated
dosis and light chain deposition
Plasmacytoma, a rare condi-
disease (conditions in which
tion that reveals itself as a
abnormal proteins are deposited
single plasma tumor mass in
in various bodily organs, leading
the bones or soft tissue. It is
to organ compromise and failure).
often a precursor to multiple
He also treats patients with non-
myeloma, a cancer of the plas-
Hodgkin’s lymphoma and some
ma cells diagnosed in 25,000
leukemia patients.
to 30,000 people per year in
Zonder, who usually sees
the United States.
patients at Karmanos’ Detroit
His first bout occurred
location, is now seeing patients
in the T7 vertebra between
each Monday at Karmanos’
his shoulder blades in 2006.
Dr. Jeffrey Zonder
Lawrence and Idell Weisberg
Symptoms included back pain,
Cancer Treatment Center in
and he received radiation to
Farmington Hills.
eliminate the tumor. His sec-
“I see Dr. Zonder every three months,”
ond bout occurred in 2014, this time affect-
ing his C2 vertebra, one of the spinal bones Levinson said. “I think he is very thor-
ough. He looks at the big picture and he’s
in his neck. Two weeks into that series of
very patient-centered. I can’t speak highly
radiation treatments, his affected vertebra
enough about the care I’ve received from
literally crumbled.
“The surgeon told me you are at risk of a Karmanos. The staff there has a great
touch.”
fatal spinal cord injury if you don’t get sur-
Levinson said he also has received
gery,” Levinson said. That surgery included
the insertion of titanium rods into his neck considerable help from various support
groups at Karmanos, including the Men’s
so that his head would be supported. As a
Networking Group at Weisberg, which
result of the surgery, Levinson cannot turn
meets the first and third Tuesday of every
his head left to right though he can move
month from 6-7:30 p.m. A spouses’ support
his head up and down.
Currently, though, Levinson said the only group also meets at the same time.
“There is a wonderful camaraderie with
medication he’s on is a cholesterol pill.
these gentlemen who are living with can-
“I’m pretty healthy right now,” Levinson
cer,” Levinson said. “We laugh, tell jokes,
said. “I exercise. I’m always grateful for
have fun and talk about treatments. I’m
where I am healthwise.”
glad I attend.”
Levinson is a patient of Jeffrey Zonder,
jn
Zonder mentions that he refers his
patients to many of the supports groups
at Karmanos and other organizations that
help people with hematologic malignan-
cies.
“Patients receive benefits such as talking
with others who have had similar experi-
ences,” Zonder said. “They gain a different
perspective on their disease and are able
to vent. They can compare and discuss
treatment plans with others and can gain
education within the group and through
speakers who come to the groups.”
Levinson also credits Karmanos’
Oncology Social Worker Kathleen Hardy,
who he describes as warm, compassionate
and kind, and his wife of 32 years, Ina, with
supporting him through his treatments.
“Ina has been a wonderful emotional
support,” he said. “She was my chauffeur
for 10 months while I couldn’t drive, and
Ina really despises driving. When I received
the green light to drive again, she threw
the keys at me and hung up her chauf-
feur’s hat. But she still goes to my oncology
appointments with me. We’re there as a
team.”
As of right now, Levinson is on surveil-
lance with Zonder for any new tumor that
may develop.
“I don’t consider myself cancer-free.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be cancer-free,”
Levinson said. “Do I think about the can-
cer? Yes. But if it comes back, I’ll be ready.
I’ll say, let’s go at it.” •
To learn more about Karmanos’ support groups at the
Weisberg Cancer Treatment Center, contact Kathleen
Hardy at (248) 538-4712. Elizabeth A. Katz is the
external marketing and communications manager at
Karmanos Cancer Institute.