September 3, 2024. A week ago was my PET/CT scan day. I hadn’t had one since August 2022. However, due to increasing CTE (carcinoembryonic antigen) numbers which is a tumor marker, it was deemed prudent to have the PET scan since the CT scan in June continued to indicate no growth in the cancerous nodules in my lungs or pectoral lesions. I’ve enjoyed this stability since early November 2023.
I’ve been on pins and needles waiting for the results. To make matters worse, the result of the CTE blood test taken that same day was 71.2 μg/L (micrograms per liter)—a significant increase from my June 5th number which was 46.8 μg/L (normal is <5.1 μg/L). Just a year ago, it was 15.4 μg/L! I was pretty confident there would be some new growth, and my days of being off treatment might be coming to an end.
I had the PET/CT on Wednesday, so there was an expectation results would post to MyChart before the week was out. It was clear by Friday evening that wasn’t happening. To build on the anxiety I was already feeling, it was Labor Day weekend. No chance to hear anything for another three days. Shit! Are you kidding me?
Today as Steve and I were driving to San Francisco for an appointment with Rugo, the results finally posted. Of course, they did. And I was driving. Once we got checked in at UCSF, I pulled the report up. Yes, there is a tiny bit of increased growth in a couple areas. For instance, one affected lymph node increased from 1.7 cm to 1.9 cm. The radiologist also noted that the lesion on the pectoral muscle was difficult to delineate on a noncontrast examination which would allow him to determine if there was any change from my last CT scan three months ago.
Last week’s PET/CT scan was done without contrast. All my regular CT scans are with contrast iodine. However in spite of the premeds I take due of my sensitivity to contrast iodine, my face felt flushed and I was a bit lightheaded during the scan in June. I hadn’t had that reaction before, and I have had at least 12 CT scans in the last two years alone. So we (me and my care team) opted to have the PET/CT scan without contrast. Probably not the best decision, other than it gave me another 6 weeks to be off treatment (looking for a silver lining here). That’s when I will have another Chest CT scan with contrast.
There you have it. You know what I know. Six more weeks off the juice. I’ll take it and savor it.
Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it. —Ferris Bueller
lana has cancer 