CT Scan Results & Info

We got to the hospital at 7:30am this morning.

Christian had her port accessed, labs drawn, and then we went down to Radiology for the CT Scan.

She got the CT done, and had her port de-accessed. It was around 9am then.

We had an hour to kill before her 10am meeting with Dr. Paluri, so we walked over to Starbucks and got a coffee.

We met with Dr. Paluri and he went over the results of the CT Scan, the CEA & CA19-9 Levels, and the next step on the path moving forward.

First, the CEA & CA19-9 levels are once again elevated.

Second, the CT Scan showed us that there were no new nodules in the lungs or the liver, but what was already there has grown.

The tumor marker levels being more elevated, and the enlargement of the tumors was enough to make the decision that the current chemo regimen is not being effective to stop (or shrink) the cancer.

Since the current chemo regmins are not effective, we need to change gears here, so Dr. Paluri presented another option.
It is a different type of chemo (Cabozantinib), along with an immunotherapy drug (Durvalumab). 

This is a new regimen that is not very common yet, but it can increase her chance of the tumors shrinking. It being new comes with red tape for approval for her particular case.

The chemo drug (Cabo) is an oral pill that you take once a day at home. 

The immunotherapy drug (Durva) is an infusion that you get in the pod once every 4 weeks.

The hospital is going to work with the insurance company to get this approved, and hopefully she will be able to start it within the next few weeks. We hope to know something next week. There will be no treatment of any kind this week or next, while they sort out the approval process.

If beginning this regimen gets stalled (because of insurance approval) Dr. Paluri will have Christian begin taking a different oral chemo pill at home (Stivarga, which will have no issue getting approved) in the meantime (to at least stop growth), until Cabo & Durva are approved and ready to be started.

Cabo & Durva have a chance of shrinking the tumors, not just maintaining their size. That is why it is worth trying this regimen first. We really hope it can shrink those tumors so we can possibly get to use some other tools (like radiation). 

If it does not work, then it sounds like Stivarga will be one of the last available options.

Stivarga is mostly a maintenance chemo. It will not let the tumors grow anymore, but it also will not shrink them either. 

Today didn't really go the way we had hoped. We are once again changing things with hopes that something will work. We are grateful that there are not any new tumors, and that the growth of the existing tumors was not exponential. We really hope that the Cabo & Durva regimen gets approved quickly, and can be started, and that it works really well for her. That is the focus now. 

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. 

We will keep this blog updated as we get more information with what is next. Thanks all