June 20 2018 Medical report...
We got some not so nice news last week and on Monday the 18th
.
Paul recently had a CT scan which was done routinely every 3 months while on immunotherapy. It showed that the nodules (very small) in his lungs – some had grown and there were new ones. While they didn’t confirm those were cancerous they are suspicious.
Also he has had some pain in the muscles on his upper right chest – it started when he was on his canoe trip about 5 weeks ago – we thought he had pulled muscles or the rib was out of place or even a cracked rib – but they said they saw something suspicious on the chest wall. Late last week, Paul said his back was sore in that same rib area – which also could have been because of pulled muscles or the rib being out of whack. When the Dr talked to Paul on the phone about these CT results and about the further PET scan he mentioned possible surgery.
They decided he needed a PET scan. So they did one last Thursday June 14.
A PET scan is where they inject radioactive glucose. It goes to the cancer cells that might be in his body because cancer cells are quick to take in sugar. The scan then shows those areas all lit up.
The results were not great.
The medical report is:
He has melanoma tumors growing on his chest wall, that is involving 3 ribs and spine.
There are small nodules in the lungs and small tumors forming there
There is a small lesion on his spleen. 1.1 cm to be precise.
There are m. nodules and lymph nodes that lit up around his arms – particularly one near the incision from last summer’s operations – it’s a lump you can feel. He had a biopsy of that on Thursday – we are waiting for the results of that – It should come back by Friday.
There is one nodule growing in his right calf – showing that the lymphatic system has m. cells in it and cancer could show up anywhere in his body.
These are all early stages and very small but it shows it is spreading at an alarming rate.
So he is now Stage 4. He is out of the drug trial he was on because the cancer has progressed to stage 4 and it was a Stage 3 trial study. He was likely on just one immunotherapy drug and not the combination in this blind study. The cancer growths are fairly small at this time but it does show that the drugs he has been on haven’t worked. They more than likely will not do surgery as mentioned before since it is not as localized as was hoped.
The thought that they were measuring the smallest new thing that was happening and measuring even the smallest changes has been reassuring. We are in the best and most knowledgeable medical hands possible and they are taking the best care of Paul's health.
The Dr. we saw on Monday was not Paul’s regular Dr. (on holidays till late this week)
So this Dr. couldn’t tell us what Paul’s Dr. would do but he suggested they might put Paul on BRaf inhibitors to try to shrink the tumors. These typically are effective at first but they don’t seem to work well for the long term – they quit working after a time – they don’t know why. This would give him an extra 11 months to 3 years. They didn’t give a life expectancy.
There are immunotherapy studies that Paul’s Dr. might get him into – but that is his call whether Paul would fit the clinical trials.
He said there are new immunotherapy drugs every year and suggested there might be something new coming up this summer even.
All in all, the medical diagnosis isn’t that hopeful at all. The medical community has no cure for melanoma, and it is a very aggressive cancer that grows and spreads quickly through lymphatic fluids. It forms nodules in clusters wherever it lands. They can only treat it.
That being said, we have been taking vitamins etc all along to boost Paul’s immune system – have changed our diet - and we are doing essential oils which do have good results in affecting and destroying cancer cells. We are doing what we can.
But God... read the next post for what we are believing for...https://pauleckmier.blogspot.com/2018/06/but-god-june-20th.html
.
Paul recently had a CT scan which was done routinely every 3 months while on immunotherapy. It showed that the nodules (very small) in his lungs – some had grown and there were new ones. While they didn’t confirm those were cancerous they are suspicious.
Also he has had some pain in the muscles on his upper right chest – it started when he was on his canoe trip about 5 weeks ago – we thought he had pulled muscles or the rib was out of place or even a cracked rib – but they said they saw something suspicious on the chest wall. Late last week, Paul said his back was sore in that same rib area – which also could have been because of pulled muscles or the rib being out of whack. When the Dr talked to Paul on the phone about these CT results and about the further PET scan he mentioned possible surgery.
They decided he needed a PET scan. So they did one last Thursday June 14.
A PET scan is where they inject radioactive glucose. It goes to the cancer cells that might be in his body because cancer cells are quick to take in sugar. The scan then shows those areas all lit up.
The results were not great.
The medical report is:
He has melanoma tumors growing on his chest wall, that is involving 3 ribs and spine.
There are small nodules in the lungs and small tumors forming there
There is a small lesion on his spleen. 1.1 cm to be precise.
There are m. nodules and lymph nodes that lit up around his arms – particularly one near the incision from last summer’s operations – it’s a lump you can feel. He had a biopsy of that on Thursday – we are waiting for the results of that – It should come back by Friday.
There is one nodule growing in his right calf – showing that the lymphatic system has m. cells in it and cancer could show up anywhere in his body.
These are all early stages and very small but it shows it is spreading at an alarming rate.
So he is now Stage 4. He is out of the drug trial he was on because the cancer has progressed to stage 4 and it was a Stage 3 trial study. He was likely on just one immunotherapy drug and not the combination in this blind study. The cancer growths are fairly small at this time but it does show that the drugs he has been on haven’t worked. They more than likely will not do surgery as mentioned before since it is not as localized as was hoped.
The thought that they were measuring the smallest new thing that was happening and measuring even the smallest changes has been reassuring. We are in the best and most knowledgeable medical hands possible and they are taking the best care of Paul's health.
The Dr. we saw on Monday was not Paul’s regular Dr. (on holidays till late this week)
So this Dr. couldn’t tell us what Paul’s Dr. would do but he suggested they might put Paul on BRaf inhibitors to try to shrink the tumors. These typically are effective at first but they don’t seem to work well for the long term – they quit working after a time – they don’t know why. This would give him an extra 11 months to 3 years. They didn’t give a life expectancy.
There are immunotherapy studies that Paul’s Dr. might get him into – but that is his call whether Paul would fit the clinical trials.
He said there are new immunotherapy drugs every year and suggested there might be something new coming up this summer even.
All in all, the medical diagnosis isn’t that hopeful at all. The medical community has no cure for melanoma, and it is a very aggressive cancer that grows and spreads quickly through lymphatic fluids. It forms nodules in clusters wherever it lands. They can only treat it.
That being said, we have been taking vitamins etc all along to boost Paul’s immune system – have changed our diet - and we are doing essential oils which do have good results in affecting and destroying cancer cells. We are doing what we can.
But God... read the next post for what we are believing for...https://pauleckmier.blogspot.com/2018/06/but-god-june-20th.html
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