Game-Changer

CHAD HAS BEEN devoted to lacrosse since the first grade. His parents, Keith and Jen Palumbo, rarely miss the chance to watch him play. The family was at a tournament when Chad noticed the lump.

Keith and Jen wasted no time. The next day, Chad, then 17, and his parents met with an adult urologist, who assured them the lump was almost certainly benign. But surgery revealed rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare pediatric cancer.

“It completely blindsided me,” says Chad. Fortunately, when Keith and Jen started searching for a medical center with expertise in the condition, they didn’t have to look far.

Richard Lee, MD, director of pediatric urologic oncology, worked with Natalie Collins, MD, PhD, at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, to develop a comprehensive treatment plan that included robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery and chemotherapy. Understanding the route the tumor would take if it metastasized, Dr. Lee removed several lymph nodes, using minimally invasive techniques. Ro botic surgery helped shorten Chad’s recovery time, allowed for extremely precise removal of the po tential cancerous tissue and facilitated nerve-spar ing techniques.

The team even advised Chad about staying in shape during treatment, which enabled him to prepare for his eagerly awaited return to lacrosse, says Keith. “When you meet experts who know exactly what they’re dealing with,” Jen says, “it takes away so much uncertainty.” After their son’s recovery, Keith and Jen saw an opportunity to bring high-quality surgical care to more kids.

The couple established the Palumbo Family Directorship in Minimally Invasive Surgery and an additional research and training fund, with the goal of fueling innovation in robotic surgery and disseminating expertise to hospitals around the world. “The Palumbos’ commitment gives us an amazing opportunity to reduce the impact of surgery for countless young people,” says Dr. Lee.

Keith recently joined Boston Children’s Hospital Trust Board and is focused on advancing the hospital’s mission through philanthropy. The family also shares their insights with others who receive a rhabdomyosarcoma diagnosis.

“When someone has saved your child’s life,” says Jen, “you can’t do enough to thank them."