Postby roadrunner » Wed Aug 11, 2021 4:14 pm
Yeah, I am doing three month follow-up. I have two that may be problematic, was offered a choice to watch or resect. I chose to watch because of small size and because the scan that suggested growth was contrast after non-contrast (which can dramatically increase perceived size), and they appear stable. So far so good. But still in monitoring mode.
As far as waiting goes, I’d get recommendations from your team (and second opinions as necessary) that align with your goals. I was diving into this fairly deeply before the stable scan, but have given myself a break since (psychological breaks can be as important as chemo breaks!). In my case, if later scans show growth, I would go ahead with a resection as soon as the nodules appear big enough for genomic testing, to find, and to grab without unnecessary removal of healthy lung tissue.
It seems like your situation is more complex. If I understand it right, your doctors will likely recommend systemic therapy. I have no idea what the best options are there, and there may well be multiple choices, some potentially mutually exclusive. So I’d want to consider those options carefully. But since you asked, no, I wouldn’t wait just to wait if I were you. It seems from your report that these have declared themselves as disease. If it were me, I’d say it’s time to fight them. Just my perspective. Of course, your doctors will have an opinion there that is infinitely more valuable than mine. And ultimately only you know what you value the most.
7/19: RC: Staged IIIA, T2N1M0
approx 4.25 cm, low/mid rectum, mod. well diff.; lung micronodule
8/19-10/19 4 rds.FOLFOX neoadjuvant, 3 w/Oxiplatin (reduced 70-75%)
neoadjuvant chemorad 11/19
4 rounds FOLFOX July-August 2020
ncCR 10/20; biopsies neg
TAE 11/20, tumor cells removed
Chest CT 3/30/21 growth in 2 nodules (3 and 5mm)
VATS 12/8/21 sub-pleural met 7mm.
SBRT nodule 1/22
6/20/22 TAE rectal polyp benign)
NED from 3/22 - 3/23
4 cycles FOLFIRI
LUL VATS lobectomy for radio resistant met 7/7/23