Colon Cancer with Metastasis to Liver

In her hometown of Casablanca, Morocco, Dolores Ortis worked with the troops during World War II. An American soldier, Daniel Poliseno, a native of New Jersey who was on tour in Morocco, swept 17-year-old Dolores off her feet. After accepting his marriage proposal, this soon-to-be war bride made the difficult decision to leave her entire family, board a boat to America and begin a new chapter in her life as Mrs. Dolores Poliseno. Dolores always wanted a large family of her own. With 10 children, 22 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren, she certainly accomplished what she set out to do.

"A persistent stomach ache landed Dolores in the hospital."

In 2006, a persistent stomach ache landed Dolores in the hospital. After several tests in the Emergency Room, Dolores was admitted to her local hospital in Freehold, New Jersey. Within days, Dolores and her family learned she had colon cancer. "My kids were devastated," Dolores shared. "Even though I was in my 70s at the time, I was - and still am - very active."

Dolores was treated for colon cancer at the same hospital, but as soon as she was able, she resumed her busy schedule. "I wanted to go back to work and interact with our customers," joked Dolores, who enjoys helping her 56-year-old daughter, Marguerite and her husband, operate a seasonal farmers market. "It keeps me busy and brings back happy memories of the fruit stand I ran with my husband."

Her daughter Marguerite explained, "When my mom isn't on the cash register, she shares stories about how she came to America and occasionally bosses people around!" Dolores' family has remained very close, so it was no wonder to learn how upset they were after hearing that just 2 years after treatment; the cancer had metastasized to her liver. "Everyone knows and loves my mom. The market wouldn't be the same without her," Marguerite added.

Determined to find a doctor who would treat their mom.

Dolores returned to her surgeon in New Jersey who delivered bad news. At the age of 80, he felt that Dolores could not undergo treatment and probably had 6-12 months to live. He believed the cancer had already spread to her lymph nodes. "It was as if my mom was given a death sentence," shared Marguerite. This news was unacceptable to the Poliseno family. They were determined to find a doctor who would treat their mom . . . and they did.

Dr. Gumbs uses a one-of-a-kind minimally invasive approach to cancer surgery.

The Poliseno's search ended when they crossed the bridge to Pennsylvania and arrived at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Dolores had an appointment with Jonathan Cheng, MD, a medical oncologist who specializes in treating patients with cancer that has spread to the liver and surrounding organs. After one look at this vivacious woman, Dr. Cheng referred Dolores to see Andrew Gumbs, MD, an oncologic surgeon who is nationally recognized for his one-of-a-kind minimally invasive approach to cancer surgery.

At first glance, her mom thought Dr. Gumbs was "just a kid," but through her online research, Marguerite learned that he is one of the nation's leading surgeons for patients with cancer of the liver, pancreas, bile duct and gallbladder. She explained, "We had total confidence in Dr. Gumbs and Fox Chase. We put our faith in their hands."

Dr. Gumbs ordered further testing that resulted in good news for the Poliseno family. The cancer had not spread further than the liver, as the previous surgeon suggested. Because the cancer was isolated primarily to the liver, Dr. Gumbs was able to perform laparoscopic surgery to remove the cancer, which was larger than originally anticipated. In this 8-hour procedure, he removed the mass in her liver, as well as the gall bladder. While open liver surgery typically requires blood transfusions, Dr. Gumbs' method did not. This was especially important for a woman of Dolores' age.

"Dr. Gumbs was the answer to our prayers."

"Dr. Gumbs was the answer to our prayers. I felt great after surgery," Dolores shared, who was up and talking later that day. "He was the best doctor we've met in our lives." She added that the nurses were amazing. "They were the most attentive, friendly nurses I've seen. And they went out of their way to accommodate my family."

Her daughter shares that just 3 weeks after surgery, her mom was running around like a 2-year-old. "Dr. Gumbs certainly knows what he's doing. He checked in on mom several times in the hospital," Dolores said. "Not only that, but he had to meet to our family - all 10 of them - in the waiting room after my surgery. We've never met a doctor like that before. Mom and I are going to recommend Fox Chase to everybody."

Learn more about colon cancer treatment at Fox Chase Cancer Center.