Back from the Oncologist

It's pretty difficult for me to read a radiologist's report. We always ask for the report as soon as it is available, and we have a copy faxed to us. But I never really know what I'm looking at until I visit the oncologist for interpretation.

We just received that interpretation from the oncologist and it's all quite positive.

Basically I have one tumor in my body, in the upper lobe of the left lung. It's the same tumor that has been there for more than a year. It's started as a tiny dot, grew to as large as an inch, shrunk back down to a quarter of an inch and now measures about half an inch.

Now if the cancer had never spread to my brain, the doctors would have gone after this isolated tumor by now. But once the spread to the brain occurred, the feeling is that more tumors will appear so it's not wise to chase one just to see another one show up.

But since I've gone a year now without any spread beyond this one isolated tumor the doctors are thinking about going after it.

So I'm off to Philadelphia, sometime after Easter.

I've met with a doctor twice at the University of Pennslvania in the early stages of my cancer's spreading, over a year ago. He is a leading figure in the kidney cancer field, is close to clinical trials, and the author of numerous studies.

My oncologist felt it was wise at this time to revisit him to collect his feelings on my current situation and best course of action to take from here.

The specialist in Philadelphia will have the best access to the latest techniques to eliminate the tumor in the lung. Radiation? Surgery? There is even a new technique now where they insert a fine tube directly into the tumor and then inject radiation right to the site.

And then the specialist in Philadelphia will decide what chemotherapy to go with after a procedure such as this, either to continue the Nexavar, switch to Sutent (both oral pill-based drugs), or Torisel (which is administered via IV at the hospital once a week).

So, sometime after Easter we'll make that loathesome trip to the University of Pennsylvania. How such a fine college ended up in such a terrible neighborhood only history knows.

This doctor is a real hot shot when it comes to kidney cancer, so I expect a very distinct plan after we leave his office. We'll likely have follow-up meetings with a surgeon or two who would implement the first half of the plan.

But I really take this all as good news. I'm happy to go after this thing in my lung and rid it from existence in my body. And there's no question that the cancer has remained in a passive state, showing no new growths and no signs of spreading.

From here I'm ready for Easter. We've got a 20-pound ham on order.