Jen's latest MRI was again stable. There is the possibility of a very small increase in one of her tumors (this is the one that Cedars has been the most concerned with). We are obviously keeping a close eye on it. This is the largest of her tumors and is also the one that is the most inoperable. It is in the area of the brain responsible for language. In any case the growth is small and the doctor at UCLA believes we should stay the course and undertake another cycle of the chemo. We will be going to Cedars on Thursday for our consultation there. We will have to see if they concur. At least one of the other tumors does appear to have shown signs of shrinkage and the edema has continued to show signs of decreasing as well.
Jen's doctor at UCLA is pleased and has said that considering the number and size of her tumors as well as the fact that she is on a very low dose of chemo which she also hasn't even been able to take on the standard timeline due to her platelet levels, he is surprised that she has done as well as she has. He has confided that they were very concerned early on. We are not sure what has contributed, whether it is residual from the radiation, the chemo (even at the low dose), her Ketogenic diet, or perhaps even the Novocure that she has now been on for 3 1/2 months. Perhaps it is a combination of several factors. We are obviously very happy at the latest scan, but do have some concerns about the possibly growing tumor. For those who are unaware, glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer there is. It can double in size in just 2 weeks. Her next scan should be in about 4 weeks provided she begins her next cycle of chemo on time.
Jen's platelets have fallen again, but they are still above the threshold for resuming the chemo and they are actually a little bit higher than they were at this point in the previous cycle. We will have another blood draw on Friday to see whether or not Jen can begin her next cycle on Sunday.
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