Team Doug Report #16

 It’s time for an update on my diagnosis and treatment situation.

Highlights

• Current meds have brought my liver function back down to normal levels
• Head & neck and vertebra tumours are now mostly inactive
• We’re investigating possible targeted radiation therapy for the remaining tumours in my liver.

Background

A year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. From the primary tumour in my right saliva gland, secondary tumours had spread into my vertebrae and my liver. A course of radiation and several rounds of chemo managed to, more or less, contain and control the problem but not solve it.

In Report #15 I noted that my chemo had been suspended because blood tests showed that my liver was inflamed, leading to dangerously high levels of a compound called bilirubin in my blood. Steroids and other meds were prescribed to bring those levels down.

The update

The thrills and spills continue, with good news and not-so-good news. Let’s start with the good news. The liver treatment has worked: the bilirubin level in my blood is now well into normal range and other liver markers are also much improved. I’m feeling pretty normal, though I tend to have low energy in the mornings, improving during the day. Now that my liver is mostly sorted we can look at the state of my cancer and what treatment we should go ahead with.

Last week’s PET scan gave mixed results. The tumours in my face and neck and vertebrae are mostly smaller or inactive. On the other side of the scale the handful of growths in my liver have grown a bit.

Nick, my oncologist, previously mentioned the possibility of zapping the liver tumours with radiation. It looks like now is the time to start planning that. The procedure is called Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT). It combines a radioactive isotope (Y-90) with tiny particles (approximately ⅓ the diameter of a hair). They inject these particles – millions of them -- into the small blood vessels of the liver, particularly inside the tumours to kill the cancer cells.

There is, unfortunately, a complication. Because I’ve had liver inflammation recently they first need to assess whether my liver can handle the stress of the SIRT procedure. To check out my liver health, they‘ll run a couple of tests and then make a decision on whether the SIRT is safe for me. 

Right now I’m just at the planning stage of this process. I’ll let you know how it goes in a few weeks.

Life goes on

I’ve been continuing to get out and about through all this. I still do my weekly 5-hour shift Sunday evenings as a Marine Rescue Radio Operator. A few weeks ago some of us were invited to tour the state police’s air command base, home of their helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft operations. It was all pretty fascinating.

On the family front, my lovely sister Barb is visiting us from Canada and we’re getting out and about locally as the changeable spring weather permits. At the same time, my nephew Dan, his wife Katie, and their two kids Henry (8) and Elsie (3) are busily adapting to life in their new home here in Sydney, three months after immigrating from Canada.

Chapeau to Dianne for her unstinting love and support. And to you all, for your non-stop encouragement and support.

I’ll see you in my next post. You can read my earlier posts on this page.