Cancer Stricken Chef Fights to Regain Taste
But the story doesn’t end there. The 34-year-old Chicago chef won top honors despite the fact that he can’t even taste his own food.
Last summer Achatz was diagnosed with advanced tongue cancer. But, instead of the standard therapy — removing the tumor surgically, followed by radiation and chemotherapy — doctors would reverse the order.
Aggressive chemotherapy, using promising new drugs, followed by radiation to shrink and kill the tumor. Surgery might still be necessary later, but it would be less radical. For now, they would focus on saving his tongue.
They warned Achatz that it would not be easy. His tongue would feel torn to shreds by radiation and he would probably lose his taste for a year. His face would turn into a hot red rash and he would have to wear a burn mask. He would temporarily lose his hair and his appetite. To be safe they would remove his lymph nodes.
“We were offering him six months of pure misery,” Haraf said. “But we were also telling him that there was a 70 percent chance that he would be cured.”
Achatz has now been cancer-free for five months and doctors say they are “incredibly hopeful” about his long term chances. Medically, he is considered in remission. Doctors won’t declare Achatz “cured” until he is cancer-free for two years.
His sense of taste is returning slowly. Sweetness came first and then saltiness. Some days he has more sensation than others. And some days it simply doesn’t matter.
Tags: cancer, chef, operation, taste, tongue
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Ten years ago, when I was in my late 30’s, I was diagnosed with stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue that had spread to my lymph nodes. I underwent very similar treatment (chemo, radiation, surgery etc..) and while it was BRUTAL, it saved my life. I just wanted to give encouragement to Grant and let him know that others have had long term survival after such a devastating cancer. He will be in my prayers as he continues his road to complete recovery.
This is such a tragedy!! I am amazed that he survived and I am absolutely speechless at the same time this is absolutely one of the BEST stories I’ve ever read!
What an inspiration!!!!
The American public may be surprised to learn that about 35,000 cases of mouth/throat cancer occur each year in the U.S. with 8.000 deaths annually. This is the #8 killer of males in the U.S. and one person on average dies of oral cancer each hour! About 25% of the mouth cancers each year occur in persons who have never smoked or drank alcohol and disproportionally in persons younger than 40. The cause for many of these latter mouth cancers is thought to be human papillomavirus, the same virus that can cause women’s uterine cervical cancer. Overall, five year survival rates hover around 55% primarily due to late detection. If an early cancer or precancer in the mouth is found as a persistent white or red patch then there is cure (precancer) or about an 85% chance of 5-year survival (Stage 1 – small, no spread); when the diagnosis is delayed until Stage 4 (large and spread to neck lymph node), on average, the five-year survival plummets to less than 25%.
Everyone over 18 years old should have a mouth cancer screening exam by a dentist annually. Dentists are trained to do this; family physicians are not.
This high profile case spotlights the “forgotten cancer” that doesn’t get the “ink” of the top 4 – breast, lung, prostate, and colon. Spread the word to your friends and family and be screened each year no matter how health you otherwise are.
Cancer is a terrible thing, and I certainly, certainly wish Chef Achatz as full and complete a recovery as possible. I am very sad for anyone who suffers this way. wow, great post! truly gives you perspective. can’t wait to read the article. I read it very carefully.