Marilyn Thurston of Colorado may be the longest-surviving carcinoid patient in the United States and possibly the world, having been diagnosed over 30 years ago. Her physician, Dr. Nicholas DiBella, created a special pin recognizing her tenacity. In 1986, Marilyn participated in the first clinical trial for Sandostatin.
Note: Sadly, Marilyn passed away on November 16, 2015. Her son, Bob Thurston, shared this news on CCF’s Facebook page where he wrote: “My mother, Marilyn Thurston, passed away on Nov 16, 2015 at age 79. But what is amazing is that she died of heart failure, not from anything directly associated with her Carcinoid tumors. In fact, she had no Carcinoid related symptoms the last month of her life. She was determined to win her 35 year battle and she won. We are so proud of the encouragement and inspiration she provided to all those also working to overcome Carcinoid.”
Special thanks to Amy Matthew of The Pueblo Chieftain for sharing Marilyn’s story of hope and positivity. Read the article here.
