Two good updates from our appointment with Dr. V. this morning....
First, since we didn’t have to go to the lab, we were in and out of the office in under 90 minutes!
Not that I'm looking for drive thru Oncology services, but this was nice! It gave Mary and I time to share a celebratory cup of coffee and then an early lunch at the Blue Koi.
Second, and most importantly were the results of last weeks tests:
Blood:
PSA - 101.46
This is up, but only two points.
CTC - Circulating Tumor Cells: 0
This is the third consecutive time since April that the CTC measure was 0
Alkaline Phosphates: 55
Still well within the normal range of 29-110
Testosterone: 10 <
Cholesterol - 155
This is back down from 210 approximately 90 days ago - not sure why it was so high previously
All other blood markers were normal.
Scans/X-rays
Bone scan was stable with no new areas notated
C/T Scan - The only thing notated was a lymph node in my lower right abdominal area which was slightly larger this month than last. Dr. V was convinced that at this time, it was nothing to worry about.
Once we decided we were relatively comfortable with my current condition and that we would maintain the current treatment, we discussed potential future treatments. Dr. V mentioned an upcoming trial that we may want to consider, SPRYCEL® (dasatinib). We are going to do some research on it to determine if it is a viable option. When the time comes that we are ready to begin a new treatment, we will also confer with Dr. L in Houston regarding other potential clinical trials for us.
Dr. V. also mentioned Provenge as a potential treatment in the future. Of course it is pending approval by the FDA, so it is once again a matter of time. Another example of why we must continue to try to manage the cancer by maximizing the time we can gain from each treatment.
So there you have it, as in the past it's really hard to get excited, although we were relieved that all of the tests, with the exception of the stubborn PSA, were stable. We have a reprieve for another 4 weeks, 28 days or 672 hours!
3 comments:
Sounds pretty good. You are blessed to have that beautiful bull dog wife hunting down these medical incompetents! We are praying for continued wisdom, strength and patience. Our God is an Awesome God! Here is to a great 4 weeks of family, friends and trick or treat! Dana A
David ,
ditto on the above comment , also The CTC has to be good at 0 and no new spots is great , alk Phos is great at 55 ,psa relatively stable. The prayers are working .I know this will help You enjoy your 4 weeks.
You are still in my prayers
Dan J
Good for you David,
Many prayers continue for you and yours.
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