Friday, August 13, 2010

Bad MRI

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Friday the Thirteenth--Bad Luck
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We received the results of Thursday’s MRI Friday morning. The news was not good.

The radiologist found a small “enhancement” in the previous cancer location. This is most likely a recurrence of GBM cancer. There is a very slight possibility that it could be latent damage caused by the radiation treatment from early last year. The only way to tell for certain is to surgically remove the growth and have it examined by a pathologist.

We have an appointment with Dr Kit Fox Monday afternoon to have a surgery risk evaluation. Michele has had so much of the eloquent area of her brain removed that she is having great difficulty now with anything having to do with words (reading, speaking, listening, and remembering names) that we wonder how much more of her brain can we afford to have removed.

A third surgery could be as early as next week but is more likely next month.

If we do not have immediate surgery, we will change the chemotherapy mix and switch from CPT-11 to carboplatin, while continuing Avastin. Carboplatin (Paraplatin) is one of the older chemo drugs--it was first approved for cancer treatment in 1989.

Our main concern with carboplatin is that it causes the blood cell and platelet output of bone marrow in the body to decrease dramatically, sometimes as low as 10% of its usual production levels. This decrease in white blood cells ( neutropenia ) will cause a increased probability of infection, which may require hospitalization for treatment with strong antibiotics. .

 

Our most probable course will be to:

1. See Dr Fox Monday afternoon.

2. Stop CPT-11 and start Carboplatin.

3. Have another MRI in late September. (Six weeks would be 23 Sep.)

4. Re-evaluate the situation.

5. A third surgery the last week of September.

 

Best,

RKS



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