CT Scans #6, Update

     Prior to this set of CT scans, every three months I'd go in for CT scans of my chest, abdomen and pelvis.  The point of these scans is to see if my oral chemotherapy, Xalkori, is still working by looking inside me; counting and measuring the tumors in my lungs, liver and bones, then comparing them to scans I've previously had.  I like the idea that we are looking for new cancer 

growth, which would let me know that Xalkori has stopped working, so that I can start on a new chemotherapy in the earlier stages of the new growth.  What I don't like is the amount of radiation I'm exposed to with each scan.  So, since I've been doing pretty well, I negotiated with my oncologist to have this set of CT scans at 4 months.  Even though I already have cancer, I figured that if I spread out the amount of radiation I receive from all these surveillance CT scans, maybe...just maybe...I might reduce the odds of my existing cancer getting worse or sparking new cancers.  Who knows if my thinking is right, or not...but it makes me feel better and my oncologist went along.  

     Yesterday I had my usual scans.  Today I received an email from my oncologist letting me know that, "Everything looks stable, which is great news."  There were no lung nodules or masses seen and no new bone lesions were noted.  There was a note about several tiny "hypodense lesions" seen on my liver, but they are too small to characterize at this time.  I'm hoping that these hypodense lesions are tumors that are shrinking away. I have an appointment with my oncologist later this week, so I'll ask him more questions about my liver and who I can ask to review the films for more information. I'll keep you posted.  

     In the meantime, here's how I feel:  
                

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM&feature=kp

KEEP CLAPPING!