Source: Life & Style
Stranger Things actor Andrey Ivchenko received terrifying news that nobody wants to hear – he had a very rare form of bone cancer called chondrosarcoma and would need extensive surgery.
What began as “a little hip pain” was later diagnosed as a tumor “that was actually eating away the pelvis bone” and resulted in the replacement of half of his pelvis with a 3D-printed, titanium prosthetic.
Now, as Andrey sees the light at the end of the tunnel of his grueling cancer battle, he exclusively tells Life & Style that he wants to “bring a special awareness” to the disease that he’d never heard of before his diagnosis.
“I found it to be a very empty, lonely preparation leading up to such a major surgery without being able to find a lot of information on what to expect or how to prepare for what’s ahead,” he explains. “More common cancers, like breast cancer or prostate cancer, [have] so much information you can find online about it and so many people can share what helped their loved one get through it or feel better on a harder day. That isn’t the case with chondrosarcoma of the pelvis.”
This type of cancer only occurs in roughly 1 out of every 200,000 people and “happens most often in the pelvis, hip and shoulder,” according to the Mayo Clinic. Most chondrosarcomas also “grow slowly and may not cause many signs and symptoms at first.”
Andrey was also told his diagnosis “doesn’t typically respond to chemo or radiation,” and instead, it would be necessary to completely surgically remove the cancerous area. But the Counterpart actor found some relief after his girlfriend connected him with a man who had been through a similar health journey. He had chondroblastoma, which Andrey described as the “non-cancerous version of a chondrosarcoma.”
“It was so comforting for something so drastic and scary to comprehend … to know that he came out the other end thriving, although his journey was nothing but tumultuous,” he says. “I held on to hope that I too one day could thrive again.”
As for why he chose to share his story, despite being a “very quiet, private person” who went through his battle “behind closed doors,” he says that he felt the desire to help others who may be struggling with battling their own illness.
“I want them to know that there is someone else that will be on the other side of this and live to speak about their experience and who will overcome this unthinkable situation,” he shares.
Andrey also has a few candid pieces of advice for those who may find themselves in a similar situation.
“To never give up and to never underestimate what the body and the mind can handle and push through,” he continues. “There were definitely dark days where I was in so much pain that I told my girlfriend I didn’t want to live. I wanted to give up. It was a dark time, but the mind finds a way to push past it and the body finds a way to begin to heal.”
He also encourages others to “take every win no matter how small” and “find peace with it.”
“Know that it is just a little further than you were yesterday … I can’t wait until the day I’m looking back on this a year or two from now seeing how far I’ve come,” Andrey adds. “Also, trust your body! If you know something is wrong, do not let any doctor tell you it’s not. Go get a second opinion. It could very well save your life.”
As he continues his recovery process, Andrey is beyond grateful to his medical team.
“I owe my life to Dr. Michael Duran and his incredible team of PA’s. I want to personally say thank you to him, his office assistant Cherie who fought with insurance for me to get my MRI’s and CT scans approved, thank you to Debra, Cassie, and Kelly from Dr. Duran’s team. You guys will always have a special place in my heart,” he says.
