CT Scan Results

My doc called me with the CT scan results yesterday. It was as I expected: the three tumors in my left lung are still there and they have grown over the past six months. The largest grew from 2.0 to 2.5 cm. That's 0.5 cm in six months. Compare it to 1.0 cm in the three months before that (that same tumor went from 1.0 to 2.0 cm in three months). So, Tykerb plus Femara (or whatever combination it was) slowed the growth down, but didn't stop it.

The lymph nodes under the left arm pit have sorta grown together into a 5cm mass. That will hopefully disappear with the new treatment. Other lymph nodes around the lungs (under my breast bone, near my aorta, and in my pelvic region) have also grown.

On the right side, there are four ribs, behind the breast tissue and back, that have extra calcium deposits that are indicative of healing. We don't know how long ago they were broken or how long they've been healing. (Note, the last time I noted healing ribs in Fall 2008, there were only three ribs involved, so apparently, another rib fractured.) The little nodule I felt under my RIGHT arm pit, near the breast tissue, might be scar tissue, but my doctor feels that it's probably a little "nest" of cancer cells.

For now, all of them will be treated with whatever combination of drugs we decide on.

My doctor also gave me the contact info for the UW folks - it's the Her-2 Study Group. They may accept me as a patient - and maybe even harvest some of my t-lymphocytes to create a vaccine to help stimulate my immune system to attack the cancer. I'll contact them on Monday.

In the meantime, my folks and brother are continuing to move things into the house. My brother is all moved in. We rented a U-Haul and got most of mom and dad's big stuff. I cleaned out my files . . . and have almost put all of them away. So, things are progressing slowly but surely. Whew! Yay!