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Cancer-Biology 101
Yesterday, we went to the doctor for the results of the latest PET/CT scan. And the news was what the doctor called "mixed" and I call "sucktastic".
Le sigh.
Doctor: (examines my dad much closer than usual) So, do you have any new pain? Any coughing? Any anything?
Kali's Dad: No...?
Doctor: No? Really? ...Really? Hmm. Are you sure?
(Kali & Kali's dad exchange glances, which basically indicate, oh god, this can't be good.)
Doctor: Well. Hmm. The news is... mixed.
Kali's dad: Hit me.
Doctor: So. Basically the tumor is smaller. A little. Well, the one in the lung's upper lobe anyway.
Kali's dad: ...
Doctor: Which means the chemo's killing it. A little. But more importantly, the cancer is more metabolically active. Than before. So basically, it's smaller, but it's getting ready to replicate like crazy. And in the lymph, while the mass is smaller, it's more, um, spread out. Which isn't a good sign.
Kali (silently): No I'd call that a fucking bad sign.
Kali's dad: Right...?
Doctor: So, the chemo's not working, and it's killing your kidneys, so we're gonna stop it.
Kali's dad: Okay...?
Doctor: Instead we're going to go with our second line defence, which is a drug called Tarceva. Chemo had 40% chance of working. This has a 20% chance. It's hard to tell because normally it doesn't work at all in people who've smoked (my dad smoked two packs a day), or tumor cells that don't have this particular genetic mutation (which my dad's tumor doesn't have). But your tumor doesn't have the mutation that DEFINITELY says it's not going to work, so we're going to try it.
Kali: This might seem like a dumb question, but why not finish the course of chemo that you had planned? I mean, if it is killing the cancer cells, maybe it just needs more time to work?
Doctor: We don't want to waste precious time.
Kali & Kali's dad: !!!!
Kali: Wait, tell me again, how is this news MIXED?!?!
Le sigh.
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But maybe, second opinion time? At least in terms of other possible drug options? (Friend recently did this, and it made her feel better even if the news was pretty much the same.)
Sending hugs, and will happily join you in virtual primal scream therapy, if that helps, too.
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