Not really an update...

...but I wanted to give folks an idea as to when big news might be coming. First, I'm scheduled for a CT scan tomorrow (October 5). I leave late afternoon for a little trip with work (for those worried, the neighbors will be by to care for little Sebastian while I'm gone), returning a week later. I see Dr. Grapski (the oncologist) on Tuesday, October 16. We'll have the results from the CT scan, and will take another look at my ca19-9.

With the CT scan, we're looking for 2 things: first, is there an obvious candidate for the source of the increasing pains I've been experiencing? Pain that began shortly after my move to Munich in the Spring of '05, and could at that time be controlled with ibuprofin, has advanced and spread, lately strongest in my left hip and down that leg. Powerful prescription pain meds are hardly enough to keep the pain under control, and leave me tired and nauseous. Should we find something in the CT scan (looking particularly in the bones, the pelvis especially) we may start radiation treatment on that immediately.

The second thing we're looking for is the overall advance or stability of the disease, to let us know if the Xeloda has been in any way effective. I am not optimistic, given the increase in my need for pain killers, and in the increase in my ca19-9 from last time, but we'll see.

There are two directions that I can see my treatment heading. In the first, we find that Xeloda is not working at all. In this case, we probably go back (for what will be a 3rd time) to the Carboplatin/Taxol combo, that was working so well on my surface tumors and in keeping the pain down, but was failing in the liver. We'd then use radiation on the liver tumors (and possibly also on whatever tumors are causing my pain, though we may wait to see if the chemo is again effective there).

The second direction we take if the Xeloda has been effective in keeping the liver tumors under control. In this case, I stick with the Xeloda, using radiation to deal with the pain-causing tumors in the hip/pelvis. Assuming we find such tumors in the CT scan.

More to come on the 16th...