Teacher facing down
rare cancer
By Kelly Feser Eells

Matilija Junior High School teacher Jim McCune was diagnosed with ocular melanoma, a rare form of cancer, three years ago - the year his son, Conor, was born and his other son, Spencer, was 2 years old.
Other than experiencing some slight vision anomalies, McCune was in excellent health and the diagnosis took family, friends and colleagues somewhat by surprise.

But few were surprised by his attitude, or how quickly the popular history teacher returned to work once treatment (which included enucleation, or removal of the eye, and a year of interferon therapy) had begun.

"Jim's an incredibly positive person," said Erin Adveeff, McCune's sister-in-law and a former Ojai Unified School District speech therapist. "And he's in a really positive frame of mind right now," she added, explaining that, sadly, the cancer has returned.

Last month, during a routine CAT scan, McCune's doctors discovered a tumor in his liver. He was immediately scheduled for surgery at UCLA, and though they had intended to operate, they "discovered he had 50 to 60 tumors in his liver and that the degree of cancer was too great" to do so.

And though one of the smaller tumors was removed (to see if vaccine therapy might work), McCune's physicians were at a loss to provide any other form of treatment.

Just last week, however, "Jim was accepted into a trial program in Philadelphia," says Adveeff, acknowledging that, while she had been doing a lot of crying in recent days, "we're really happy to have something positive to focus on now."

The "we" includes sister Sarah, Jim's wife and a Mira Monte Elementary School teacher; brother Matt Inman, an Ojai Valley School teacher, and Inman's wife, Ann, a Nordhoff High School teacher; and, of course, McCune himself.

Between Jim, "who is so well-liked at Matilija" and the rest of the family, "we probably know at least half the kids in the community," Adveeff smiles, indicating that she hopes residents will join them in helping her brother-in-law battle this deadly disease.

The Philadelphia program (which McCune began last weekend) has been proven to significantly extend the lives of 50 to 60 percent of the ocular metastasized melanoma patients enrolled. Overseen by Dr. Takami Sato at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, "Some patients," Adveeff noted, "have gone on to live seven years" after their diagnoses.

The treatment - immunembolization - is conducted monthly, over a two-to three-day period.

After three months, "they'll take a (blood, bilirubin, etc.) reading" to determine whether the tumors have responded to treatment and/or the cancer has spread, "and he'll continue the trial as long as the therapy is helpful."

Adveeff encourages everyone to "visit" McCune at the family Web site, www.jimmccune.com. "We have some big things in the works for Jim," she said, explaining that, not only is the family planning several upcoming benefits, but is looking for help with travel, e.g., donations of "Frequent Flyer" miles, and soliciting general support.

A benefit party at Soule Park is in the works; date to be announced. Call Adveeff at 640-8866 for more information or visit the Web site.

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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