Update on Pam - TACE round 2

Quick background: Pam was dx 12/23/08 stage iv with inoperable mets to liver. Folfox 6 w/avastin worked for 6 months, then on to Irinotecan and Xeloda which kept the tumors in check for 9 months. Over the summer, she had two TACE treatments targeting two large tumors in the right lobe. Last week we met with the onc and reviewed her latest Blood/CT/PET results. Results are mixed.

First the good news, her CEA is the lowest it's been all year at 20.4. Also, even though the tumors show a slight increase in size, he said this is most likely swelling and not new growth. The bad news is his concern about the bile ducts. He is afraid of infection or blockage. Pam has been running a slight fever for a week, we've been keeping a log. Her other symptoms are pain on the right side and lower back, nausea, indigestion, weight loss, forgetfullness and fatigue. She doesn't have all these symptoms at once nor does she have them every day. Today she developed a new one though, dizziness. The hope is that if her bile ducts are somewhat blocked, it is the tumors pushing against them that are causing the problem, and if the tumors begin to shrink, the blockage will subside and so will the symptoms.

She has another TACE procedure scheduled at Georgetown on the 27th. The week prior, we are going on a camping trip, which she is really excited about. Please keep her in your thoughts.

Al