How it works

While I was in treatment yesterday, Dr. K's nurse came in and handed me a chart, which shows how they measure response under this protocol. The dimensions of up to five tumors per organ are added together to get a baseline "long diameter." My baseline from my scans of Nov. 25 was 104. The dimensions of the tumors from each subsequent scan are compared to the baseline. If it exceeds the baseline, I would be out of the trial. My first scans totaled 96 and my second 97, so I'm down 7% from the baseline but up 1% from the lowest measurement. Hope this makes sense.

I finished the antibiotic for my infection and that seems to be cleared up. My cough continues unchanged despite all the meds I'm taking. We'll have to see if there are any other options when we see the pulmonologist later this month.

Today I have a very upset stomach. Can't think of any reason why, since the chemo doesn't cause nausea. Maybe I picked up a bug. This certainly won't help me gain weight!

It's another beautiful day, but the rain is on its way. I hope to get out even for a few minutes to enjoy the sun and warm weather at lunchtime. Hope you are having good weather wherever you are.

Note: I wanted to clarify that the metastases in my lungs are leiomyosarcoma cells that took up residence there. (This also holds true for the metastases in my skull and pelvic bone.) I do not have lung cancer. I have cancer in my lungs, and that cancer is LMS. While it is possible for a cancer patient to develop another type of cancer, the metastases are always the same type as the original cancer. They are just growing in a different place. For example, if a man has prostate cancer and it metastasized to his liver, the cells would still be those of prostate cancer even though the tumors are now in his liver. It is not liver cancer.