Needham Man Fights Against Cancer in Honor of Father

Photo: American Cancer Society

Cancer patients, survivors and caregivers from across the Commonwealth traveled to the Massachusetts State House Wednesday in support of regulations aiming to curtail preventable diseases.

The visit, which focused on a meeting with lawmakers to encourage regulations on indoor tanning and electronic cigarettes, was part of the annual American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Lobby Day, which brings together elected officials and coalition partners in addition to cancer survivors and volunteers.

David Dumenigo, a Needham, Mass. resident and active ACS CAN volunteer ambassador, supports the organization in honor of his father, who is currently battling his second diagnosis of prostate cancer.

“I was in high school [when he was first diagnosed],” Dumenigo said to Patch. “My parents were coming to grips with it and they didn’t want it to affect my childhood.”

His father’s first diagnosis was in the academic year of 2004 - 2005 while the second was in 2010 when Dumenigo was preparing to graduate college. After learning of the organization’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Day David got involved with the American Cancer Society to spur his personal cause. He has spoken as a volunteer representative at regional meetings for the group as well as advocated lawmakers on these cancer-related issues.

“The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network has been my ticket to be able to [advocate],” he said. “There’s already a community behind it and I’m just another log in the fire making it brighter.”

And Massachusetts will need as many logs as possible. An ACS CAN press release estimates that 37,790 people in the Commonwealth will be diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and 12,710 will lose their battle with the disease.

Those who attended Lobby Day on behalf of ACS CAN were primarily urging regulation of e-cigarette purchases by minors and use of tanning beds by the same age bracket of teens under 18.

The Massachusetts volunteers asked lawmakers to:

• Support House Bill 2050 and Senate Docket 1200- which would modernize tobacco control and protect the health of minors by prohibition of e-cigarette sales to minors and include electronic cigarettes in the smoke-free workplace law.
• Support Senate Docket 1565- which would further regulate tanning facilities and protect minors under 18 from UV indoor tanning to decrease the risk of deadly skin cancers such as melanoma.

Meghan Rothschild, a melanoma survivor and spokesperson from the Melanoma Foundation of New England (MFNE), was one of the advocates at the event. She is working in partnership with ACS CAN in hopes of protecting Massachusetts youth from the dangers of indoor tanning.

“We know tanning beds are just as carcinogenic as cigarettes,” said Rothschild, who cites her teen use of tanning beds as the cause of her age 20 diagnosis. “Any exposure to them before the age of 18 dramatically increases your risk of skin cancer.”

While prostate cancer is not in the category of preventable diseases, Cancer.org suggests smoking as a risk factor even though “this finding will need to be confirmed by other studies.” The possible connection at the very least ties in with House Bill 2050’s aim to decrease the use of tobacco in workplaces and by minors.

Prostate cancer grows locally within the prostate for several years, according to WebMD. The cancer then extends outside the prostate in three ways:

• Invasion- which occurs by growth into neighboring tissues.
• The spreading through the lymph system of lymph nodes and lymph vessels.
• Metastasis- which occurs by the traveling to distant tissues through the blood.

David Dumenigo prefers to practice a close relationship with his parents rather than become bogged down by his father’s cancer. He also identifies his parents’ marriage as a contributing factor to a positive environment sustained for his dad.

“It’s an emotional ride for him and our family but in the end I’m just really focused on him and my mother’s happiness,” Dumenigo said. “That’s the most important thing. They’re both the anchors in each other’s lives.”

Dumenigo’s reveling in volunteer work and advocacy, in relation to the American Cancer Society or otherwise, is arguably something a lot of us can learn from.

“Sometimes it can take a while in life to realize what it is you want to advocate for. Once you do realize it the next step is to actually go ahead and do it.”