Pineapple-derived treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center helps veteran manage rare cancer

SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. - An 82-year-old Safety Harbor veteran is getting his life back after doctors turned to an unusual treatment for a rare form of cancer.

Unusual treatment

What we know:

Ed Meyers is a Vietnam Army veteran who previously battled leukemia.

Then, he was diagnosed with mucinous appendix cancer, which caused a tumor that affected his appetite and left doctors looking for an alternative to traditional surgery.

Oncologists found that it produced mucin, which is a thick, jelly-like substance.

Moffitt Cancer Center's GI oncology team determined traditional surgery would be too risky given Meyers' age and previous cancer diagnosis.

Instead, they turned to a treatment called BromAc.

How the treatment works

Dig deeper:

BromAc combines bromelain, an enzyme derived from pineapple, with a saline spray.

Doctors place the treatment directly into the tumor through a catheter that remains in place overnight.

The treatment breaks down the thick mucin, turning it into a more liquid substance that doctors can then remove using syringes.

Dr. Michael Wach, a GI oncologist at Moffitt, said doctors were eventually able to remove as much as a half-liter per day in Meyers' case.

Patient history unclear

What we don't know:

It's unclear how many patients have gone through this same treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center.

Improving symptoms

The backstory:

Over time, Meyers' tumor shrank by more than one-third and so did the size of his stomach.

He says his symptoms have improved and that he recently felt hungry for the first time in a long time.

Moffitt oncologists have since successfully used the treatment on other patients, according to the hospital.

Returning to Moffitt

What's next:

BromAc does not eliminate Meyers' tumor, but his current treatment plan means he only needs to return to Moffitt every few months for checkups.