23 May 2011 - Cancer Centre, Old QEH

Deb's 52nd birthday and the third anniversary of her diagnosis.

Not a good birthday present. Returned to Cancer Centre to have a further blood test when we saw Dr Connolly.

Blood test results were not good. WBC = 3.0 (low), RBC = 2.77 (low), PLT = 51 (very low). So platelet count had only recovered very slightly during the week. On getting the results Dr Connolly consulted with Dr Sanghera who then came to see Deb. It was agreed that Deb would not proceed with the chemotherapy. The slow recovery of the production of blood cells indicates the chemotherapy has caused detrimental effects to the bone marrow and further treatment may wipe it out all together. Deb is to return to the Cancer Centre on a weekly basis for blood tests to monitor levels and establish that the cell production has recovered.

Chemotherapy will not be restarted for the time being but progress of the tumour will be monitored by scanning. Deb's next scan will be in about 6 weeks time. Following that decisions will be made about how to proceed.

Another slip down the greasy pole. Have we got to the end of the treatment options?

LONDON TO BRIGHTON CYCLE 2011

Brain tumours are nasty things. Malignant primary brain tumours take more years off the average person’s life than any other cancer. They are the most significant cause of cancer death amongst men under 45 and women under 35, and approximately 400 children are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour each year.

Scientific research into brain tumours is under-funded, both in relation to the number of people affected and the life-limiting nature of malignant tumours in particular. For example, in 2007-8, the Medical Research Council (MRC)invested less than £1 million in brain tumour research, compared to £14 million in leukaemia research. Yet brain tumours claim the lives of more children, and young men and women, than leukaemia.

Brain tumour charities are trying to redress this imbalance. To support them a group of friends and I (11 of us so far) are cycling from London to Brighton raising money for Brain Tumour UK. If you would like to sponsor me please visit:

http://www.doitforcharity.com/ChrisE


Many thanks

Chris

16 May 2011 - Cancer Centre, Old QEH

Sorry, I haven't updated the blog for a while. I seem to be writing the same words each time. Still no change is a good thing.

To catch up. Deb has now completed six cycles of PCV chemotherapy. The effects of the chemotherapy are cumulative and during each successive cycle she has suffered worse side effects. During the last cycle she was physically sick several times and has felt sick all of the time. As a result she has not eaten very much and during the 2 weeks she was actually taking the chemo she suffered from general tiredness and spent long periods either in bed or resting. When she finished taking the drugs she improved significantly but unfortunately almost immediately got a throat infection which she has found difficult to shake off. Despite all this we managed to have a good long weekend in Torcross, South Devon with the Thomases and the Keeleys.

Deb had her mid-cycle visit to the Cancer Centre on 18 April. She had a blood test and results were good (WBC = 3.2, RBC = 3.16, PTS = 120).

We also saw the results of the MRI scan Deb had on 14 April. Results were very good and essentially the tumour was the same size as the scan taken 3 months ago. This was Deb's 15th MRI scan since diagnosis in May 2008.

Last Monday we visited the Cancer Centre for the start of Deb's 7th cycle of PCV. We saw DR Caroline Connolly, Registrar. The blood tests results were poor (WBC = 3.5, RBC = 2.7, PLT = 43). The platelet count at 43 was the lowest Deb has had. It was agreed Deb would delay the start of chemo for a week to give her platelets a chance to recover. The doctor explained that the cells in our blood live for only 7 - 10 days and are constantly being replaced by new cells from the bone marrow. The chemotherapy interferes with the production of these cells. The effects are cumulative and after each cycle the body takes longer to get back to full production. At some point the body will not be able to recover and then the chemo will have to be stopped.

So we return to the QE next Monday for another blood test and hopefully the 7th cycle of chemo.