Summit County Executive Russ Pry has been diagnosed with colon cancer, his office announced Monday.
Pry is scheduled to undergo laparoscopic surgery Tuesday at Cleveland Clinic Akron General to remove the tumor and is expected to spend six weeks recovering. In the interim, his chief of staff, Jason Dodson, will handle the day-to-day operations of the office in consultation with Pry.
“Once we get through this week, we don’t have anything going on that I would expect I would need to get in touch with him,” Dodson said. “If anything major would happen, I can talk to him.”
The tumor was discovered during a routine colonoscopy and subsequent testing, according to a news release. Testing indicated the tumor has not spread beyond Pry’s colon and is not in an advanced stage.
Doctors have told Pry that the tumor is not Stage 4 cancer, but they will not know what stage until they complete the surgery, Dodson said in an interview.
Pry just turned 58, Dodson said.
In an email, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said: “Russ is one of my closest colleagues and a very good friend. As all of you know, Russ is there for so many of us in our time of need, which is why we will be there for him with whatever he needs on his road to a full recovery.”
Pry will be in the hospital for two to six days and is expected to return to work when the Summit County Council returns from summer recess on Aug 1. He will be available for consultation with the office, if needed, Dodson said.
The Mogadore native took the opportunity to stress the importance of colon screening and early detection.
“I would like to encourage those who are due for a colonoscopy to do it now,” Pry said in the release. “I am grateful for my doctors and for the exceptional medical care — we are lucky to have outstanding hospitals and medical professionals in our county.”
According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer that hasn’t spread to distant organs can have a five-year survival rate as high as 92 percent.
Early detection is key and men and women are recommended to begin colonoscopies at age 50, said Dr. Noaman Ali, a general surgeon and colon specialist at Akron General.
Colonoscopies should be performed earlier if there are symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, blood in the stool or a family history of cancer, Ali said.
When a cancerous tumor is caught early, either in the colon or if it has spread outside the colon, “it isn’t an incurable disease,” said Ali, who is not Pry’s physician.
Ali said after surgery, the stage of the tumor will be determined. Generally, Stage 3 cancer requires chemotherapy and Stage 2 is treated on a case-by-case basis.
Pry has requested privacy while he recuperates.
“While feeling very optimistic, this type of news is somewhat overwhelming and Executive Pry appreciates everyone’s good wishes and opportunity to work through this process in private,” the release stated.
Pry has been Summit County executive for nearly nine years. He was first appointed to the position after serving as a longtime attorney, Democratic Party chair and law director for Boston Heights. He won subsequent elections for the post.
Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ and see all her stories at www.ohio.com/betty.