In “Left on Tenth,” Delia Ephron brings the Cancer Journey to the stage

After five weeks of chemotherapy, the treatment proved successful and Delia was discharged from hospital. “Your marrow is beautiful,” said Dr. Roboz to her in a follow-up deal.

The couple got to enjoy New York City together and travel. In August 2017, they visited Oregon to see the total eclipse. But cancer was always at the back of her mind. “You’re in remission, but it’s on your mind all the time,” says Delia. “It’s not like you just go home and screw around.”

Another steep turn was coming. In November, a bone marrow biopsy indicated the cancer had returned. Because of how quickly and violently it came back, Dr. Roboz didn’t think chemotherapy would be enough this time. She encouraged Delia to get a bone marrow transplant, explaining that advances in treatment had made it safer for some older patients than before. It was the only thing that could “cure” her AML.

“For a long period there was a cut-off for patients over 60; they were not even sent for consultation,” says Dr. Roboz. “But over the years, the procedure became safer and supportive medicine improved, so the numbers started to move up to the point where we can transplant patients into their 70s. Delia’s journey is an incredible testament to how far the field has come .”

Dr. Roboz referred Delia to the stem cell transplant program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, then headed by Dr. Koen van Besien. He recommended a haplo-cord transplant, which involves transplants from two donors: an adult donor and from an umbilical cord donated by a mother after birth. As Delia considered her odds and the trials ahead, Dr. Roboz her: “Don’t be afraid of the treatment, be afraid of leukemia.”

“It was a great thing to consider,” says Delia.

She decided to go through with it. After some tests and another round of CPX to clear her marrow, she underwent the bone marrow transplant in February 2018 with Peter by her side.

Early signs showed that the transplant was working, as Delia’s blood tests revealed a steady increase in white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets, indicating that the new stem cells were producing healthy blood cells. But Delia’s road to recovery was harrowing as she battled complications. She became seriously ill, unable to eat, and her lungs filled with fluid. “I really just wanted to die,” she says. “I felt completely desolate.”