I had a sleepless night last night as I mentally prepared for my appointment with oncology this morning to discuss systemic treatment options since I had decided not to proceed with the Whole Brain Radiation Therapy. I was very pleasantly surprised to be seen by the head oncologist, Dr. Rajappa. He was so awesome and had all of the qualities I hoped a great oncologist would have, i.e., thoughtful, smart, engaging, optimistic, calm,…everything! We decided that I would have a new baseline body and brain MRI/PET scan in the first week of September.
I had a sleepless night last night as I mentally prepared for my appointment with oncology this morning to discuss systemic treatment options since I had decided not to proceed with the Whole Brain Radiation Therapy. I was very pleasantly surprised to be seen by the head oncologist, Dr. Rajappa. He was so awesome and had all of the qualities I hoped a great oncologist would have, i.e., thoughtful, smart, engaging, optimistic, calm,…everything! We decided that I would have a new baseline body and brain MRI/PET scan in the first week of September. I would then start either the new B-RAF drug (if I was positive for the B-RAF mutation and if it is approved by then, which it should be), or Yervoy if I was negative for B-RAF mutation, somewhere around the middle to end of September.
Dr. Rajappa made me feel so confident and hopeful with this plan, regardless of which one was followed. He was going to call pathology at David Grant Hospital to find out if the B-RAF results were in yet, and then he said I would be called immediately when he found out. I was on the light rail on the way home when the call came in…I am positive for the B-RAF mutation!! The people on the light rail must have thought I was crazy…I was crying and doing the Happy Dance at the same time!! I am so grateful and saddened at the same time for the people whose names I recognize now, and who found out that they were negative.
The good news now is that U of Penn researchers just discovered a way to make our good T-cells attack cancer cells and then multiply instead of dying off. This was tried with a few leukemia patients with outstanding results. Now the trials will be expanded to larger samples and different types of cancers.
The bottom line is…the cure for cancer is seriously right around the corner!!
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