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A discouraging MRI

August 10, 2006

Sadie’s first post-treatment MRI on June 27 showed considerable shrinkage in the top right tumor and no growth to the left-hemisphere tumor. Unfortunately, her MRI six weeks later showed definite growth in the left-hemisphere tumor. The report stated that the images were more consistent with a GBM than a PNET.

We decided to grasp the slim chance that a PNET was what Sadie had; 5-year survival rates for PNETs can be as high as 60-70%, while they hover around 0% for GBMs. Two weeks later we started the second round of PNET treatment.

The second phase of treatment begins

August 21, 2006

By late August, Sadie’s blood counts had recovered enough to start the second phase of the PNET protocol. On the 21st she had her first cisplatinum infusion and began the 3-week regimen of etoposide capsules. If all went well, she’d do this three times, followed by eight rounds of vincristine and cyclophosphamide.

It was hard to watch Sadie get so sick again so fast. Within 3 days she was vomiting and worn out, in bed most of the day. It looked like we were in for a very rough year.

A sudden decline

August 26, 2006

Five days after Sadie started the second phase of treatment, we received a crushing blow.

Read on… →