Honestly! We have enough to worry about!!!

I read an article today about counterfeit Avastin being distributed in the US. This is total BS!!

There are only 7 FDA approved Angiogenesis Inhibitor drugs for kidney cancer. Patients try the prescribed drug and have scans 2 or 3 months later to determine if the drug is effective. If there's shrinkage to the tumors, or they remain stable, the patient will continue on the drug. Once a drug stops working a new one will be prescribed, and the process starts all over again.

The last thing a cancer patient needs to worry about is whether their drug is a counterfeit, or not! How many people have taken this drug only to find out it didn't work? Was it because the drug was a counterfeit? I'm wondering how many people were affected by this since Avastin is used for other cancers, not just kidney cancer.

Tender Spot

Dennis commented the other day about a spot on his spine being tender. I believe it's the same spot he had radiation to over a year ago. Dennis has spots on his spine at T7, T8, and L2. It's been over a year since his MRI of the spine, and almost 2 years since his bone scan. At his next appointment, in March, I'll ask about a bone scan. At this time there are no other spots that are tender, or cause pain.

I'm very curious about the results of his next scan. Unfortunately, I believe the drug he's taking might not be working any longer, especially now, since the mention of the tender spot on his spine. We'll know for sure when we get the scan results on March 5th.

The teenage years...

Ugh!! Every conversation turns into an argument.

It's getting to the point where no conversation might be better than trying to have one...

MRI Results

Dennis had his MRI at 8:30 this morning, and received the results by phone around 11am.

Great news! Everything looks good!

One less thing to worry about.

Drug no longer working?

Dennis is taking Votrient, with one of the side effects being hair color change. I've noticed his hair is starting to grow back in as its original color.

Hmm... I wonder if the drug is no longer working?

MRI

Last week Dennis had a few (6) headaches at the base of his skull on the right side, and blurry vision a few times in his left eye. I sent an email to his NP letting her know what was going on, and also suggested to include a brain scan the next time he has his CT. She responded indicating that he needs a MRI in the near future. I'm so thankful he is getting a MRI instead of a CT of the brain–I believe this will be much more accurate. Yesterday there was a message on the machine informing us that Dennis will have his MRI on January 11th. Hoping for good news!

Wishing everyone a Healthy New Year!

Scan Update

Great news--Dennis remains stable!

This latest report did not contain any measurements, except for the slight decrease in the fluid collection that has been there all along. I always compare the latest scan to the previous one to see exactly what the changes are. No such luck with this report. I'll have to conclude that stable, in this case, truly means stable. No growth, no reduction.

Dennis will continue taking Votrient, and return in 6 weeks for his labs.


For those interested I'll include the findings.

Chest:
Enlarged destructive lytic mass at T3 rib is again demonstrated on the right. Several sclerotic foci in the thoracic spine are again demonstrated. These appear overall similar. Bony expansion at T6 on the left is similar. A small right middle lobe nodule is stable. No new suspicious pulmonary nodules are present. There is no new significant axillary,  mediastinal, or hilar adenopathy.

Abdomen/Pelvis:
The liver is normal.
The gallbladder is normal in appearance.
The spleen is normal.
The pancreas is unremarkable.
The rt adrenal is normal. Nodularity  of the left adrenal gland is stable.

The rt kidney is within norrmal limits.

The left kidney has been removed. The left retroperitoneal low density fluid collection anterior to the left psoas muscle is again demonstrated.  It measures 5.3 x 4.4 cm, slightly decreased from prior exam of 5.6 x 4.8 cm but overall similar.

The pelvic viscera are unremarkable. There is no evidence for bowel obstruction. Previously seen thickening near the ileocecal valve is not present and likely represented under distention as described previously.

A fat containing lipoma in the left gluteus muscle is similar measuring 3 cm.

There is no significant abdominal or pelvic adenopathy.

Extensive bony metastatic disease in the lumbar spine and pelvis is overall similar.

Impression:
1. Stable appearence in diffuse osseous metastatic disease. Stable subcentimeter right lung pulmonary nodules.
2. Retroperitoneal fluid collection slightly decreased in size overall similar to prior exam, which may again represent a lymphocele.