‘RHOBH’ Kyle Richards talks about recovery and bond with Teddi Mellencamp
‘Real Housewives’ star Kyle Richards reveals Teddi Mellencamp doesn’t have cancer, talks about recovery
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Philipp Felsman was given only a few years to live.
The then 55-year-old was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer in January 2025 and faced a grim prognosis. The tumor had spread from the colon to the lungs, a vital organ that removes toxins from our bodies and ensures healthy functioning.
The otherwise healthy New Yorker described the news as a “huge shock.” He has happily worked as a service manager for 33 years and enjoyed spending time with his wife and son. When I suddenly had trouble climbing the stairs at my Manhattan home, I had no idea it was cancer.
“It was a scary diagnosis,” Felsman told USA TODAY. “I was living with the fact that if nothing went well, I might never see my family again.”
But almost a year later, Felsman, 56, is now cancer-free. I see smiling faces at the hospital where I go for regular check-ups. He is working on regaining his strength to return to full-time work this month.
Treatments once considered niche have made a difference. Felsman received a hepatic artery infusion (HAI) pump. This included a device implanted under the skin in Felschmann’s abdomen that continuously injected high doses of chemotherapy directly into her liver, delivering much higher concentrations of the drug where it was needed most.
In most cases like Ferschman’s, patients receive chemotherapy and have a limited life expectancy, said Ferschman’s doctor, Dr. Nicholas Hornstein, a medical oncologist at Northwell Health’s Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital. However, 10% to 15% of colorectal patients could receive HAI treatment if offered the option at the appropriate time, Dr. Hornstein said.
“Metastatic colon cancer is a disease for which we don’t have adequate treatments…We’ve learned over the last decade or so that we can help about a third of patients who would otherwise be terminal if we find a way to eliminate their disease,” Hornstein says. “We can’t save everyone, but if we never try, we never save them.”
Deciding to try targeted therapy
Felschmann’s response to HAI was “astounding,” Hornstein said. Two of the three liver tumors have completely disappeared, and the third has shrunk by nearly 70%, making it possible to destroy the remaining cancer with focused ablation, a minimally invasive method of eradicating tumors using ultrasound. As of October, he is cancer-free.
HAI is not a universal solution for stage IV cancer, said Cedrek McFadden, a colorectal surgeon and medical advisor to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. It is primarily suitable for people who have liver disease but are otherwise healthy enough to tolerate surgery.
But powerful tools like HAI may not be safe to administer to people who have already received a lot of chemotherapy, Hornstein said.
That means early referral is key, Hornstein says. “The biggest problem we see people starting treatment is (and) they don’t know about it.”
In addition to physical criteria, patients also need the right care team.
“This is not true for all colon cancer patients,” McFadden says. “Patient selection is important, and close monitoring is important. The reality of this treatment is that it requires a lot of experience… There’s the surgical work of installing the pump, the medical team administering the chemotherapy… It’s unlikely that this treatment will be widely available in every hospital in the country.”
And HAIs aren’t without potential complications, McFadden says. The pump itself is prone to failure, and administering extremely high concentrations of chemotherapy can also have other negative effects on the liver.
“This is a difficult technology to support and do safely,” Hornstein says.
A realistic goal, McFadden says, is to improve the rate of patient referrals to specialized medical centers that manage HAIs.
“Providing patients with another option to treat a potentially fatal disease is a matter of hope,” McFadden says. “This is not a cure, but it is a powerful part of a larger treatment plan.”
The big advantage is that patients like Felsman can live relatively normal lives while receiving HAI therapy. This is a big improvement over traditional chemotherapy, which can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting and fatigue, Hornstein said.
And while HAI has been around for decades, it has been slow to take off because it requires skill to deliver, Hornstein said. “Other centers have not been able to replicate HAI because of their size and expertise,” he says. “But it has been revisited and developed, and now it is one of the fastest growing treatment paradigms in cancer treatment.”
Take the test and ask questions
Colon cancer is more treatable if detected early. Felschman didn’t have a colonoscopy when she turned 45, the age at which the American Cancer Society recommends starting routine tests. Now, he plans to tell all his friends to get tested.
If you’re under the recommended age, McFadden says to watch for persistent changes such as bloody stools, irregular stools, fatigue, or changes in bowel habits.
“If you have any of these signs and symptoms, it’s important to see your doctor early,” he says.
And if you were in his shoes, Felsman says to ask as many questions as possible to find out what treatment options are available to you.
“Sit down and really talk to your doctor. Get a feel for how he feels and what he’s suggesting,” Felsman says. “If you’re not satisfied, seek a second opinion.”
