Welcome back to the next blog post. The last few weeks have
been fairly uneventful, which is a very good sign.
Last Friday I received my third round of treatment and
visited with the oncologist. The oncologist is very impressed and encouraged
that my physical condition continues to not only be great, but also improve as
I’ve undergone the early stages of treatment. My body continues to exhibit the
signs that indicate that treatment is working. I will undergo a CT scan on June
1 which will give us a better indication on my progress.
The oncologist has instructed us to keep a few things in
mind when analyzing the results of the CT scan. I will do my best to summarize these
points because my situation is quite different from a typical cancer patient
receiving traditional treatment.
Since I am taking Keytruda, a type of immunotherapy, there
are certain factors that can impact the results of the CT scan. By their very
nature, immunotherapy drugs stimulate the immune system to attack the fast
growing cancer cells. During this process the immune system will start to
rapidly create immune cells (killer T cells) which will attack the cancer cells
by attaching themselves to the tumors. The hope is that there are significant
amounts of T cells actively fighting the cancer during treatment. However, when
the CT scan is performed, there is a good chance that the increased numbers of
T cells may create the appearance that the tumors have grown and in some cases
spread. This can be alarming to the patient or someone who does not understand
how immunotherapy treatment works.
Keeping this in mind, my doctor informed me that my overall
health and physical condition will be a driving factor in the decision to
change or continue treatment. If I continue to feel great and progress, it is
likely that the treatment is working regardless of how the CT scan appears.
Currently, this is very promising as I have increased the
intensity of my work outs and continue to live a normal life as much as
possible. Most of the time I feel no pain from the cancer and fatigue is the
only constant reminder that I have this disease.
I have more information regarding the long term “best case”
scenario for my treatment, but I am going to hold off until the CT scan and I have
another discussion with my oncologist on our next steps. In the meantime I am
praying that I continue to feel healthy and that whatever the CT scan shows in
June that it indicates a powerful and successful response from my immune
system.
Once again Maureen and I are grateful to everyone for the
ongoing prayers and support. We are thankful that everything continues to work
out for us in all aspects of our lives during this fight.
