Sharon and I took a road trip and headed up to Seattle, where I got a second opinion regarding treatment moving forward. Dr. D. was great. He feels that my treatment to date has been resonable, and that I have many, many treatment options moving forward. His top three choices for me at this stage are:
1. Doxil - once a month IV treatment, it is well tolerated, and you can be on it long term (Dr. McC. has patients who have been on it four to five years). Hopefully it will stop the tumors from growing, and there is a 30% - 35% chance of tumor reduction. I'll take that!
2. Avastin - also well tolerated. Not a chemo...this drug restricts the blood vessels surrounding the tumors which keeps them from growing. This drug has the potential for serious side effects (high BP, stroke, intestinal perforation...yes, I said intestinal perforation) but they are low. Even lower for me because I have no disease in my abdomen.
3. Topotican - good response, but can have bone marrow issues.
He discussed BRCA testing (gene carrier) which determines if your cancer is hereditary. It can also help in choosing treatment if you are platin (Cisplatin and Carboplatin) sensitive. It's unlikely that I carry the gene as only 10% to 15% of the population do but...it can provide additional information that can assist in therapy. When I was first diagnosed Dr. McC. spoke with me about the BRCA testing...my recollection was that it was only to determine if my female family members were at an increased risk of cancer. I love my girls dearly, but declined...solely from a cost perspective as it was not covered by insurance and the cost was approximately $2,500 - $3,000.
Dr. D. recommended that not now, but at some point in the future I have tumor sequencing (DNA) to learn about my actual tumor...this way they can specifically target treatment. Imagine a customized cocktail. Martini, one onion, four olives...grin.
Lastly, I asked him about my lousy magnesium. He confirmed that it is caused by the platin brothers (Cisplatin and Carboplatin). Seems the platin drugs drain the magnesium from your system and it is a long term, not short term recovery. I asked define long term...he said a year. I wanted to say shit.
He closed by telling me that I need to have a PET scan (already scheduled) and to get back in treatment (also already scheduled). He also said if I thought of anything more, on the drive home, or a few days later, that I should feel free to contact him and that if I had any difficulty getting DNA testing done in Portland, he could take care of that for me.
I really liked Dr. Drescher...too bad Seattle is three hours north. Lucky me, Seattle is only three hours north. Grin. I like knowing I've got an all-star on my bench.
More options is a good thing. And I like Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia - so count me in for future trips to Swedish Medical. Who says you can't have great food and a pedicure in addition to consulting with a big-gun oncologist? I am delighted that Dr. D's assessment brought greater confidence and new information to the situation, my friend.
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