Friday, August 21, 2009

Preliminary results are in, and no clear answers

Well, just after I posted, the phone rang and one of my doctors was kindly calling me with preliminary results. They've been putting off calling me because they don't yet have a recommended path forward. Yikes.

Here is the bottom line: If "cancer free" is the best news, this is second best on the list. Basically, the lymph nodes are clean (yay) but one margin is not. This means, they found tumor cells near the edge of the area they cut, so they need to assume that there are some left behind (little rectal humor there).

Of all the margins, this is the "best" one to still have tumor cells because there are no adjacent organs, but no one quite knows what to do about it. They will discuss it at a conference at the hospital this week to get the recommendation of other doctors.

So, options are, watch and wait (meaning, let the tumor make the next move), radiate, or do chemo, or any combination. More surgery for this is not an option, at least right now.

No clear answers, but at least there is something....

Love, Marie

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