On Cody's last MRI, February 27th, there was a new spot showing up that was concerning. When they compare his last 3 scans side by side you can see it was there/starting in December but was not there in the October scan. Initially he was not experiencing any symptoms, but as of the last week or so, he has started feeling dizzy, extreme fatigue, and a little off balance. When he describes it to me, he usually says "I just don't feel good."
New tumor area....
Duke wanted to look into getting a biopsy. Cody wasn't thrilled with that idea, so we made an appointment with Mayo Clinic just to get another opinion. We met with both the neuro-oncologist and the neuro-surgeon. They were both on the same page, saying that doing a biopsy would carry unnecessary risks, when the diagnosis is not really in question. Surgery is also off the table because the tumor is so deep in his cerebellum. They were in agreement that the option for now is to get started with a new treatment. The chemo that Cody has been taking for the past 18 months is now considered ineffective because these new cells have popped up and started to grow. These are the options that were discussed...
*Avastin only---avastin is a tumor-starving therapy with the purpose being to prevent the growth of new blood vessels (blood vessels that feed tumors)
*Avastin + CCNU (Lomustine)---chemotherapy, different than what he's been on
*Radiation---we don't know if this would be an option, but worth looking in to. They would have to map out his old radiation plan and see if there would be any overlapping areas, but because the new tumor is in a totally different area than the new one, they might be able to consider this.
*Optune Device---you'll have to look this up to see what it looks like, but it is basically a device that creates low intensity wave-like electric fields that help slow or stop cells from dividing. This would be something he would have to wear 22 hours a day, shaving his head every 3 days. (This is codys least favorite option).
These are all FDA approved treatments, nothing would be a trial. We want to talk to Duke yet again and need get appointments set up with his oncologist in Sioux Falls to move forward and get something started.
