European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 10, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A Cam treatment Success Story Paul Tsongas has been free of cancer since a Bone marrow transplant nearly six years  the associated press Paul Tsongas is alive today and running for president because of a medical Gamble a a highly experimental and risky Bone marrow transplant. Now Tsongas says he is cured of Lymphoma the cancer that struck him nine years ago. His doctors say it is not that simple. Or. George Canellos likens Tsongas health Outlook to sailing in the fog with a Bright Light but no radar. Quot As far As we can see ahead of us with the limited tools we have the ship is going Fine Quot says Canellos chief of clinical oncology at the Dana Farber cancer Institute. Quot but we done to have a Crystal  in fact Canellos and his patient have Little to go by. They Are pioneers in an Experiment still in its infancy. Tsongas was one of the first 100 people in the country to receive a transplant of his own Bone marrow. Now the former Massachusetts senator is the first major candidate to Campaign As a cancer survivor. Quot no one even gets a diploma that they made it Quot says or. Tak Takvorian who performed Tsongas transplant. Quot no cancer treatment is  still the doctors Are optimistic. They say Tsongas has been cancer free for 5 years and is in better shape than most men his age a we done to know what percent of people will survive Long term Quot said or. Jim Neidhart a cancer specialist at the University of new Mexico. My belief is some people will be cured by these approaches and Tsongas May be one of  Tsongas began a concerted Effort to pre empt health questions As soon As he took the Lead in new Hampshire polls. He made his doctors available for questioning he invited reporters and cameras to watch him swim laps to demonstrate his fitness. His to ads in Georgia and Maryland Are essentially copies of his introductory and in new Hampshire a showing Tsongas swimming briskly in a Pool. Quot the word cancer frightens people. You have to Deal with it Quot he says. Tsongas journey began when the Young . Senator discovered a Lufhin the Groin in 1983. Within eight Days doctors at the Bethesda naval Hospital determined it was cancer. Tsongas had Lymphoma a cancer of the infection fighting Lymph nodes. About 40,000 americans get it each year. Tsongas Felt Fine and Canellos prescribed no major treatment. By Early 1986, though Tsongas returned to the Farber Institute new lumps were forming throughout his body. The doctors administered radiation and anti cancer drugs called chemotherapy bringing the lumps under control. But it was Only a band Aid measure. Tsongas was told the experimental transplant procedure was his Only real Hope at Long life. It would be painful risky and there were no guarantees. Doctors had been giving Bone marrow transplants Between close relatives for years. But Tsongas was one of the first to receive a transplant of his own cleaned up marrow called an Auto logos transplant. The treatment began with injections of chemotherapy to Quot beat the disease Down Quot Canellos says a a process that caused vomiting nausea and hair loss. Next Takvorian inserted a Long Needle into Tsongas Pelvis and removed marrow from the Bone cavities. The procedure was excruciating a doctors cannot Anes Thetie the Pelvis. Tsongas says he endured by reminding himself it would end in 20 minutes. Doctors purged the Bone marrow of any cancer cells. Next Canellos treated Tsongas with High doses of chemotherapy and radiation to kill any remaining cancer cells. The treatment also kills the remaining Bone marrow leaving the patient extremely susceptible to infection. In the six weeks that followed Tsongas a Claustrophobic was confined to a tiny room that offered Only a View of Fenway Park. Only his wife and sister could visit. They were not allowed to touch him or sit on the bed. Finally Tsongas was Given his marrow Back in a process similar to a blood transfusion. He had been hospitalized for 43 Days. There were some lasting effects. Tsongas developed an ear infection that resulted in permanent hearing loss in one ear. He also suffers from a dry Throat because the radiation damaged his mucous membranes. Otherwise he recovered quickly and returned to work. For about a year Takvorian kept Tsongas on minor medications such As vitamins. In december 1990, Takvorian put Tsongas through an extensive checkup. He passed with flying colors a no sign of cancer. But questions remain. Quot we re going to have to follow a patient a Long time with this Type of disease to know if they have been cured Quot said or. Richard Jones an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins oncology Center in Baltimore. Quot the Early results Are definitely  action line medals not awarded by quota army says be i have a question regarding army policy on the awarding of medals i was recently assigned to the 6th trans co in saudi Arabia i was informed by the company first sergeant that of the 120 soldiers put in for this medal Only 13 percent would receive it. My question is what army regulation puts a quota on the amount of medals which can be awarded to a single company if there is such a regulation it needs to be changed so that some of the More deserving soldiers who did not receive it can do so in the future. Brian Middendorf Staten Island new York _ kit. Col. Keith p. Schneider Public affairs officer . Total army personnel come department of the army replies in accordance with army regulation 672-5-1, the objective of the department of the army military awards program is to provide tangible recognition for acts of valor exceptional service or achievement special skills or qualifications and acts of heroism not involving actual combat. No preconditions for an award May be established. Likewise limiting awards to a specific number per unit is not authorized. Thus there Are no quotas. The decision to award a decoration and the decision As to which award is appropriate Are both subjective decisions made by the commander having award approval  write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort Quot striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. 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