From My Mind to....

The Treatment Plot Thickens

I received a call from my Oncologist yesterday with some good news. At least, she said it was good news. And it came in a roundabout manner.

The last time we spoke a week ago, she said that the final results of the surgery stated a couple lymph nodes associated with the right kidney were removed with the kidney and tumor. However, none of those lymph nodes removed were cancerous. 

This information was at odds with the biopsy I had four weeks before my surgery, which stated the lymph node checked was cancerous, thus setting me on that road for surgery.  Having cancerous lymph nodes also came with a Stage 4 pronouncement though it was not considered terminal. That is good.

The call yesterday resolved what my doctor called a discrepancy. Now, I’m thinking a discrepancy is being a few dollars off in your check register. She explained the surgeon removed any and all cancerous material (including the kidney and tumor). The lymph nodes that were removed were attached in such a way that required their removal, but that they were non-cancerous. Negative lymph nodes downgraded me to a Stage 3 diagnosis. That is very good.

Apparently, the downgrade might allow me to take part in some Clinical Trials for my specific form of cancer. There are two types of kidney cancer—a clear small cell carcinoma and a non-clear small cell carcinoma, also called Papillary renal cell carcinoma. I have the latter.

And that’s a bad news-good news thing. The bad news is all the data available on using immunotherapy to treat kidney cancer is for clear small cell cancer. Ain’t got that. I have to wonder why there isn’t data on my form of kidney cancer. I can’t believe I’m an odd man out here.

The good news is that doctors and researchers are trying to start clinical trials for using immunotherapy for the non-clear} small cell cancer. And I would qualify for those trials provided VA approves, which may be a bigger ask than she let on with cuts happening all over the (government) place.

In the meantime, I have been scheduled for immunotherapy treatments anyway. There shouldn’t be any side effects like chemo and radiation have. Radiation would have been warranted if cancer was discovered in my lymph nodes. Thus, I remain hopeful and positive the right things will fall into place.

I believe "I'm A Closet Pessimist"  might no longer apply to me.