Former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who has served as the co-director of Boston University’s Initiative on Cities since February, announced Thursday that he will suspend his cancer treatment and end the rest of his upcoming book tour.
“I, along with my family, after talking with my medical team, have decided to suspend my book tour as well as my cancer treatments,” he said in a Thursday statement. “While I continue to fight this terrible disease, I feel it is time for me to spend more time with my family, grandkids and friends.”
Menino, 71, was diagnosed with cancer in February, but publicly announced the diagnosis in March, stating the cancer had spread to his liver and lymph nodes. He was admitted to Brigham and Women’s Hospital on Oct. 16 for side effects of his new cancer treatment, said Dot Joyce, spokeswoman for Menino.
“Mayor Menino is doing well,” Joyce said in a Tuesday statement. “He experienced some side effects as a result of a new treatment given to him prior to his book tour.”
Joyce said Menino was responding well to the treatment he received for the side effects.
“Angela and I are grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support and kindness shown to our family and ask that everyone keep us in their thoughts and prayers,” Menino said.
Menino, a five-term mayor who served from 1993 to 2014, wrote his autobiography, “Mayor for a New America,” in collaboration with writer Jack Beatty. The book tour launched in New York on Oct. 14, the day the book was published. Menino was scheduled to speak at the Barnes & Noble at the Prudential Center on Oct. 28 and the Barnes & Noble @ BU on Oct. 29.
Over the past several years, Menino has faced a number of health complications.
He spent a total of eight weeks at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in 2012 after contracting a viral infection and blood clot in his leg and later a fracture in his back, The Daily Free Press reported on Dec. 26, 2012. He was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes the same year.
Several BU students and Boston residents expressed concerns about Menino’s well being.
“I hope he gets better. Whenever someone is hospitalized, it’s a drastic scenario,” said Morgann Byrne, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. “It just goes to show that it can happen to anyone.”
Shatira Mayes, 31, of Roxbury, said Menino has always been busy and played an active role in his community.
“He’s always been doing, doing, doing and going,” she said. “He’s selfless. He thinks about everyone else besides himself.”
Tony Le, 24, of Dorchester, said Menino needs to take a step back and focus on his health.
“He needs to worry about himself other than traveling,” he said.
Menino thanked his medical team and said he remains hopeful about his health.
“The medical team at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital along with those at the Dana-Farber [Cancer Institute] have been amazing in their care and treatment of me and the many other patients and families that suffer from cancer,” he said. “I am hopeful and optimistic that one day the talented researchers, doctors and medical professionals in this city will find a cure for this awful disease.”
Samantha Gross and Paige Smith contributed to the reporting of this article.
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