PET Scan Update

As most of you are all aware, Dr. Dy thinks my mom has a new cancer growth in her left lung. Until now, her left lung has been the healthy lung. The CT scan she had in October did not show anything new. The CT scan from last week, however, did show a new mass. To get a better glimpse into what we are looking at, Dr. Dy ordered mom to have a PET scan which was done today. Dr. Dy and I were hoping to get the results back today. I spoke with my mom's nurse Emily a little while ago and she they were unable to get the results back today. I am to call first thing Monday morning for the results.

If, for some reason, the PET scan does not give us a definitive answer, then mom will have a biopsy on her lung. Dr. Dy is hoping to avoid this because the lung is like a balloon (duh!) and inserting a needle into the lung can cause it to deflate. Considering this has been my mom's good lung, Dr. Dy is wanting to avoid this as the recovery to reinflate the lung is painful and she would be in the hospital for 3-4 days.

While I have since come to terms with the fact that my mom probably has more cancer, I am hoping and praying and everything in between that no new cancer is found in any of the other vital organs like the liver or pancreas.

Lung cancer is the deadlist form of cancer and is also the least researched form of cancer. For my mom, this is bad. Most lung cancer patients die within 5 years of diagnosis. My mom was diagnosed a little over 2 years ago. My mom will turn 52 in March. 2 years into aggressive chemo treatments, my mom's veins fail her and now receives fluids and chemo through a port in her chest. Blood is also taken out of this same area, which makes it easier on my mom and her veins.

If the new growth is in fact cancer, Dr. Dy will research chemo treatment my mom can take that she hasn't taken already. The problem with cancer is that it is smart and becomes chemo resistant.

Due to the type, location, and history of my mom's cancer, she is not eligible for clinical trials.

Due to highly aggressive levels of radiation early in mom's treatment, she is no longer a candidate for any other radiation treatments unless it moves into her bronchial tubes. My mom's main cancer tumor (right now, before the diagnosis of this new tumor, she has 2 tumors) is located right next to her esophagus almost on top of her spine. Anymore radiation can cause severe spinal cord damage.

Surgery is not an option due to the fact that the cancer had already reached the lymph nodes upon her first diagnosis. Doctors refuse to remove a lung once the cancer has spread elsewhere because then the patient only has one lung to fight any new cancer with. In my mom's case, this was a good thing. To breathe with only one lung and receive chemo treatments into the same lung could be a deathly mix.

In short, we know nothing as of yet. I will keep you posted.

Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers, and truly awesome gestures.

Much love,
Dawn