KidneyTimes has a new article up A Peaceful Mission Silenced by Pearl Lewis. This is a fond remembrance of Joe - Joey to his friends - though bitter sweet because of what might have been.
To anyone who would question Joey as to his focus, despite his multiple challenges, he would answer saying he was on "a peaceful mission," that mission educating and advocating for the needs of other patients.
He did a lot of advocacy in his 52 years but it was following screening guidelines for the general population rather than a more aggressive screening regime that took into consideration his immunosuppressed status that has left Pearl wondering what if?
I would never recommend following the ACS guidelines for transplant recipients. My research has found reports of cancers beginning as early as the first post transplant year. Dr. Israel Penn, founder of the Israel Penn International Transplant Recipients Tumor Registry, said that cancer in transplant recipients appears 20-30 years earlier than in the general population thus obviously AGE is NOT criteria to use when beginning cancer screening in transplant recipients OR anyone who is immunosuppressed.
I think the message of the article is to screen for cancers early and screen often once you are living with a transplant. Rest in peace Joe.
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