“General Hospital” star John York, 64, says treatment for his blood and bone marrow disorders is going well, and tests have been favorable. He remains positive amid treatment and expects to return to the popular soap opera by early summer if his treatment continues progressing nicely.
York was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and multiple smoldering myeloma late last year. He’s undergone blood stem cell transplantation, which includes intensive chemotherapy.
“A bone marrow transplant is a therapy where your bone marrow and your blood cells are completely replaced by someone else’s bone marrow cells and blood cells,” Dr. Jun Choi, a hematologist-oncologist at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, explains to SurvivorNet.
MDS is a variety of bone marrow disorders that look similar. Under a microscope, the bone marrow cells look like cancer and, genetically, may have alterations that are known to cause MDS.
Symptoms of MDS include frequent infections, fatigue, shortness of breath (anemia), or easy bleeding/bruising. These symptoms result from the bone marrow being unable to produce enough healthy, functional blood cells.
Smoldering myeloma is close to becoming active myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells. It is characterized by higher levels of abnormal proteins in the blood and plasma cells that comprise more than 10 percent of the bone marrow. Smoldering myeloma aims to keep it from becoming an active disease.
“General Hospital” star John York, 64, known for portraying “Mac Scorpio,” is fighting through treatment for his myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and multiple smoldering myeloma diagnosis this Fall. Now donning a newly shaved head thanks to ongoing cancer treatment, he says his prognosis is on the upswing, and he could return to television sooner than many people expected.
— John J York (@JohnJYork) December 22, 2023 In an “X” social media post, York said things have been going very well since beginning cancer treatment.
“I’m still in the middle stages of everything. I have a long road ahead, but the test results are looking really good; I’m feeling really good,” he said after quipping about his clean-shaven head and beard.
He added that if he continues on a positive trend amid treatment, he could be back on the popular soap opera in late spring or early summer.
“One day at a time, we’re going to take care of this,” he added.
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 24: John J. York in a scene that airs the week of September 27th on ABC’s GENERAL HOSPITAL (3 PM ET/2 PM CT and PT). (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for DATG)
York shared his diagnosis publicly this past September, although he was diagnosed in December 2022. His treatment includes a blood stem cell transplant, which lasted for 100 days. The transplant also includes intensive chemotherapy.
“They’re basically wiping my body of what I’ve been living with in terms of my blood and DNA and all this stuff for my entire life. They’re wiping that clean, and then they’ll put new stuff in me from the donor. And that’s going to be the new me,” York said.
“The only curative option [for] MDS these days is a bone marrow transplant,” Dr. Jun Choi, a hematologist/oncologist at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet.
“Now, bone marrow transplant is one of the more intense therapies for MDS, so you really want to be able to tolerate this therapy. That is why this therapy is reserved mostly for younger patients and [those] who do not have other medical conditions,” Dr. Choi adds.
Myelodysplastic syndrome is a variety of bone marrow disorders that look like each other, meaning under a microscope, the bone marrow cells look like cancer and genetically may have alterations that are known to cause MDS. Common symptoms of MDS may include frequent infections, fatigue, shortness of breath (anemia), or easy bleeding/bruising. These symptoms occur because of the bone marrow’s inability to produce enough healthy, functional blood cells.
Some patients with MDS will have their cancer evolve into acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Thus, your doctor needs to monitor your risk. They can monitor the risk by looking at your blood counts, the amount of cancer in the bone marrow, and any genetic abnormalities.
“For the workup of MDS, you start with a regular blood check, and you confirm that someone has low blood cells,” Dr. Choi explains. “And then, when the suspicion for MDS is high, the ultimate gold standard diagnostic test is a bone marrow biopsy. And that is because the bone marrow is where all the blood cells are made. And we want to confirm that there are abnormal cells in the bone marrow.”
A bone marrow biopsy can confirm MDS. It can also provide other details on your cancer.
Treating MDS
MDS patients’ treatment options depend on symptoms and the risk for it to evolve into AML.
For lower-risk MDS:
Many people may only need to monitor blood counts every few months without specific treatment.
Some people may be started on medications to stimulate RBC or platelet production.
Some people may need a blood transfusion every few months.
Specific types of MDS may benefit from lenalidomide (Revlimid), luspatercept (Reblozyl), or immunosuppressing medications.
For higher-risk MDS:
Treatment usually starts with a class of drugs known as hypomethylating agents (HMAs). HMAs include intravenous or oral forms of azacitidine (Vidayza, Onureg) or decitabine (Dacogen, Inqovi).
Other treatments are possible depending on the presence of certain mutations or if the disease is more aggressive.
Some patients may require more frequent transfusions, from every few weeks to even several times a week.
Some patients may be eligible for a bone marrow transplant.
Many patients should consider enrolling in a clinical trial if available.
Understanding Smoldering Myeloma
Smoldering myeloma is close to becoming active myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells. It is characterized by higher levels of abnormal proteins in the blood and plasma cells that comprise more than 10 percent of the bone marrow. Smoldering myeloma aims to keep it from becoming an active disease.
The current approach to treating smoldering myeloma is to “watch and wait.” However, Dr. Irene Ghobrial, medical oncologist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, says waiting too long can produce active myeloma and serious symptoms.
Dr. Ghobrial tells SurvivorNet that some treatment options exist to help minimize the chances of smoldering myeloma from developing into full-blown myeloma.
Dr. Ghobrial uses treatments typically reserved for the first phase of active myeloma in patients with smoldering. “You can have a better survival with lenalidomide and [dexamethasone].” Those two drugs are part of first-line therapy for active multiple myeloma now being used against smoldering. Lenalidomide is a drug that prevents myeloma cells from processing proteins key to survival while activating the immune system. Dexamethasone is a steroid drug that can help reduce inflammation and pain while also killing myeloma cells when given in high doses.
Ghobrial also points to a monoclonal antibody, Elotuzumab (Empliciti).
“We added an antibody that activates the immune system, something called elotuzumab.” Elotuzumab is an antibody, a protein, that binds to a receptor expressed on myeloma cells. By “tagging” myeloma cells with this protein, the drug makes the cells easily visible to immune cells that can target and kill them.
Why Positivity Matters?
SurvivorNet experts recommend that anyone facing cancer make sure they continue to prioritize their overall well-being and do the things that they love, just like Irwin is doing.
Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecological oncologist at Arizona Center for Cancer Care, says people with cancer should be making time to do things that make them happy.
“We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Chase said.
“So working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival. If that’s related to what activities you do that bring you joy, then you should try to do more of those activities,” Dr. Chase explained.
Kavontae Smalls is a writer and reporter for SurvivorNet. Read More
Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)
MDS is a group of diverse bone marrow disorders in which the bone marrow does not produce enough healthy blood cells. Our experts are here to guide you through the basics to get you on the path to recovery.
