Last Tuesday was my ninth chemotherapy infusion and we met with my oncologist to discuss the results of the latest CT scans documenting the progress made over the past two months. Progress is, again, good. “Significant,” in fact, according to my doctor. The largest lesion on my liver — which in March was 3.8 x 3.8 cm in diameter has shrunk to only 1cm! The other two remaining areas of concern are smaller. There is also nothing new for them to monitor. This is all excellent news. I will continue with the next four chemotherapy treatments as scheduled and we will meet again in early October to determine where we stand. 

The biggest hurdle at the moment is that the remaining areas of disease on my liver are not clustered in one place but disparate, making surgery something that is not a straightforward solution. My oncologist is going to present my case to a multidisciplinary team that she belongs to here in Boston, from which she is hoping to get some suggestions other than chemotherapy, for dealing with the remaining disease.

Sans surgery, I have the option to continue with a (likely less aggressive) chemotherapy regimen as a sort of maintenance routine beyond this initial six month window, particularly given that I have been able to tolerate the treatment and the cancer cells have been so responsive to it. What that would look like is not yet clear since we are waiting to see where this third chunk of aggressive initial treatment gets us. I will have my next update for everyone the week of October 4th.

Thank you all for your continued care in so many ways.