Bad News

Last week I had a CT scan which indicated a new spot of cancer. Today I met with Dr. Shao, the oncologist, to understand the path forward.

The new tumor is in a cluster of lymph nodes near to where the last tumor resided, nestled between the lung and the heart. The only permanent treatment for synovial sarcoma is surgical, radiation and chemotherapy will just delay growth or mildly shrink the tumor.

The treatment options are ranked from best downward.

• Excise the tumor with a minimally invasive surgery;
• Excise the tumor by opening the chest to gain access;
• If no surgical option is viable, try and retard growth with radiation.

I am scheduling the surgical consultation and will post any news here.

For those who are interested, here is the analysis of the CT scan.