One month ago I had my first set of scans since beginning my anti-pd1 trial. Those scans weren’t horrible, but they did show some slow growth in my tumors. My oncologist decided to allow me to receive two more doses of the medication and then rescan me after a month to see if my tumors continued to grow or if my immune system would kick in and the scans might show shrinking tumors.
Today I had my second set of scans and my oncologist called me with the results soon after. My tumors are mostly stable except for the one in my groin which has grown. This is the one that causes me to need pain killers all the time, too. Stinker! Unfortunately, although it is not official yet, it looks like this is the end of the trial for me. It is bittersweet because I did show an initial response to the treatment so we really thought this was going to be the drug that would be the solution for me. On the other hand, being out of the trial will allow me to have this painful groin tumor surgically removed. In the middle of typing that last sentence, my surgical oncologist called to set up an appointment with him for next week. So, sounds like that tumor is going bye-bye! Yay! I will most likely also see my main oncologist next week to decide what the plan is going forward. Continued prayers are appreciated as we make decisions about my next treatment. For now, Danny and I are going on a trip and I am under doctor’s orders to not think about cancer for the weekend!