LI Woman Becomes First East Coast Patient to Undergo PIPAC Surgery for Cancer Treatment

LIJ Is Second Site in United States To Enroll Patient in this Clinical Study.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is Women with Stories of Courage, which is a perfect description for 74-year-old Anita Wolf, of Lake Grove, NY. On February 8, 2021, Ms. Wolf became the first patient on the East Coast to participate in the PIPAC (Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy) clinical trial.

PIPAC is an entirely new way of giving chemo that could one day become an effective way to deliver chemo to abdominal cancer patients who currently have very few treatment options. It may be a new option for people with end-stage peritoneal cancer (cancer in the thin layer of tissue that lines the abdomen and covers most of the organs in it).

That was the case with Ms. Wolf. Her story began in October, 2019, when her daughter, Jennifer, strongly urged her mother to go for a routine colonoscopy. That routine test revealed that Ms. Wolf was already in Stage 2A of colon cancer, meaning that the cancer hadn’t yet spread. But, a follow-up CAT-scan in January, 2020 revealed that the cancer was spreading to the liver.

So, on Valentine’s Day, 2002, Ms. Wolf began chemo for a three-month period; sadly, the cancer continued to grow. At this time, Ms. Wolf was advised that she could be a good candidate to participate in the PIPAC clinical trial. Her surgical oncologist, Danielle DePeralta, told the family that Ms. Wolf would have to be off traditional chemo for several weeks. For that reason, the surgery was scheduled for February 8th.

PIPAC involves three surgeries, scheduled six weeks apart. Ms. Wolf also undergoes frequent follow-up appointments and blood tests. She acknowledges that she is proud to be part of a clinical trial, and hopes that the knowledge gleaned from her participation will prove helpful to her doctors, surgeons and future patients.

Ms. Wolf and her husband, Tom, are now looking forward to celebrating their 43rd wedding anniversary on March 18th. To honor his courageous wife, Mr. Wolf will be surprising his bride with an opal necklace (the traditional symbol for the 43rd anniversary). He says he is looking forward to the next 43 years with his wife, with whom, he says, he has shared a lifetime of fun.

With Anita Wolf, her husband, Tom Wolf, and their daughter, Jennifer
Dr. Richard Whelan, System Chief, Colon and Rectal Surgery, Northwell Health
Dr. Danielle DePeralta, surgical oncologist who treated Ms. Wolf
Richard Barakat, SVP, Cancer Services, Northwell Health

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