Today saw Dr Sanghera (and Fred and Claire) to get results of Deb's MRI scan (28th scan since radiotherapy). The last scan - 2 months ago - had shown some signs of tumour progression and we approached this meeting with some anxiety and trepidation.
This time Deb had two scans: first the standard MRI scan and secondly a magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) scan (MRI gives information about where a tumour is; MRS can in theory tell doctors how aggressive it is.) For Deb the results from the MRS scan showed some increase in metabolism within the tumour. However the results of ordinary scan (although how any technique which uses superconducting magnets at the temperature of liquid helium (-269C) can be called 'ordinary' I don't know) showed no change since last time. The results indicated that maybe something is happening in the tumour but its development is slow. Dr Sanghera thought there was enough uncertainty to delay the onset of treatment until the results were decisive.
So for the time being we do nothing. Deb is to have a further scan in 3 months time. Tomorrow, on Deb's birthday, is the 6th anniversary of her diagnosis. So we can celebrate. She is still doing well. Symptoms from the tumour are minimal and any changes appear to be slow in development.
