Background on Terrie and her cancer

Hi, everyone,

Terrie's asked me to give you some information so you can know what she faces. She was diagnosed a little over a year ago with breast cancer but it subsided for awhile. Over the last 6 months the cancer marker in her blood tests kept rising and doubling, until the cancer marker levels had doubled in two months' time, from September 2007 to November 2007. The levels of the cancer marker are now just above normal. Terrie then had a CT scan and, two weeks later, a PET scan, as the oncologist wanted more detail. Both scans revealed that the cancer had metastacized to multiple sites: there was an 8 cm (>3 inch) tumor on her right thigh, 3 spots on the spine (T3, L3, L5), several sites near the right lung (around the 3rd & 4th ribs and around the 6th & 7th ribs), a spot on the right ileum (pelvis), a mass on her liver, another on the right thyroid,  3 affected lymph nodes in the right arm, and multiple locations in the bones. In the two weeks between the CT scan and the PET scan the mass on the liver grew one inch.

This metaplastic cancer is an unusual form of breast cancer  and has no estrogen or progesterone receptors -- it  grows aggressively but is not dependent on hormones for its growth. At this point it is now called a Stage IV cancer and is considered incurable. Now the goal in treatment is to at least prevent the cancer from spreading or increasing. When cancer spreads to the bones it becomes very painful, but not life-threatening; when it invades the liver, the outlook is more serious. As he's certain her pain will increase beyond the efficacy of the OTC analgesics, the doctor prescribed Vicodin.

The oncologist, a gentle and compassionate man, explained Terrie's options: chemotherapy, but no surgery and no radiation. Because each dose of chemotherapy kills only a percentage of the targeted cells, the cancer patient must take multiple doses of the drug(s) in order to at least keep the cancer from growing. And, because the chemotherapy drugs target dividing cells, the drugs will kill skin, hair, mouth, intestinal, and bone cells, as well as the cancer cells. None of the drugs in the oncologist's arsenal are effective (in some cases, is not safe) for more than 9 to 18 months, so, even if one drug is effective in limiting the cancer's growth, Terrie would then have to switch to a different drug after 9 to 18 months. 

A Stage IV cancer patient has a 50% chance of surviving two years. If the patient survives two years, then he/she has a 50% chance of surviving the next two years. If he/she survives the 2nd set of two years, he/she has a 50% chance of surviving the following two years -- decreasing odds, diminishing returns. With chemotherapy the hope is to keep the patient alive until, hopefully, the pharmaceutical companies develop a product which will control or eradicate the cancer completely.

When the oncologist gave Terrie this information, he was certain she should be in great pain. On that day she wasn't in great pain -- she did have some discomfort, but it was reasonably manageable -- but 2 or 3 days later she was in tears and could not sit still because she was so uncomfortable. Since that time -- for the last 5 days -- she's been taking aggressive measures to help her body fight the invader, and has become more comfortable. Yes, she still has some discomfort, but the pain has decreased so that she no longer experiences discomfort if she's sitting still. 

I can tell I'm getting tired, so I'll close for now. In my next post I'll try to give you an idea of how this cancer has affected the other facets of her life. If you respond to these posts, I'll probably write more and can paint a better picture for you. You can help Terrie a lot by posting your encouraging comments in this blog, and by keeping her and Marisa in prayer. If you post comments, Terrie will respond as she has time. Good night, all, and God bless!

--Marty