What is it?
Sinonasal Undifferentiated Carcinoma (SNUC) is a rare and highly aggressive neoplasm arising from the nasal cavity. Fewer than 100 patients have ever been diagnosed, and there appear to be only a handful alive in the US at any one time.
Why are we involved?
Andrei Makovik was employed in the Information Technology department at Cayman Chemical. In November 2004, when he was 37, it was discovered that he had a large, invasive tumor of the nasal sinuses. Over the next year and a half, he underwent multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. There was fluctuation in the severity of the cancer and its symptoms. He was further treated with oral thalidomide combination chemotherapy. Andrei continued to be active and feel reasonably well until March 2006, when MRI scans showed continued slow expansion of the brain metastases. All treatment was discontinued, and his functional status deteriorated rapidly soon thereafter. Andrei died of respiratory arrest on May 11, 2006.
More information
For more history related to our involvement with SNUC research, click here.