bounceforlife

Written by Andy Martin, Tulane Medical School, 2003

Sinonasal Undifferentiated Carcinoma (SNUC) is one of the truly rare cancers of which we know, with fewer than 100 cases reported in the scientific literature. It is also one of the most malignant cancers, with few surviving past five years.

Unfortunately, I have been diagnosed with SNUC. Part of the deeply personal struggle to deal with this is frustration at the lack of definitive opinion as to the best treatment. Among consulting institutions are some you may know: MD Anderson, Sloan Kettering, Dana Farber/MGH/Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, Pittsburgh, Tulane and the University of Chicago. Yet among them, there was no consensus, because collectively we know too little to offer a reliable solution.

introduction by Avril Jensen (Andy's Sister)
Andy Martin was my younger brother, and growing up, my best friend. I called him the “true Renaissance man” since he loved and excelled at so many varied endeavors. Not only was Andy a medical student, researching his own cancer, but he was also an incredibly artistic person. Back in the early 90’s while at Harvard, he took up carving jewelers wax as a hobby. I still wear the mobius strip design he had cast for me from one of his original creations.