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Treatment for lymph nodes?

Posted by sheridanb @sheridanb, Oct 28 5:23pm

My husband's latest CT scan showed no progression of disease, except "Enlarging centrally necrotic appearing retroperitoneal lymph nodes". His CA19-9 numbers had gone up after a maintenance chemo this summer. He has now had 3 treatments of the full doses of folfirinox which he did for 12 treatments this past winter/spring and the numbers continue to go up. But maybe that is a surge from going back on the folfirinox?
We'll see his oncologist Wednesday, and Dan is scheduled for the next full treatment and also the blood work, though that usually takes a day or two for the CA19-9 results.
Just wondering if we should be exploring additional treatments for the lymph nodes behind his abdomen? Like radiation? Or just assume the chemo drugs will stop them from growing more?
The oncologist has said if there is evidence of the folfirinox not working then other chemo drugs will be tried.
Thanks for any suggestions on things we should bring up to the doctor.

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Nov 4 5:50pm

@sheridanb, I wanted to follow-up on the questions you asked. What did you learn from the oncologist? Is chemo being recommended? Were other options discussed?

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1 reply
sheridanb | @sheridanb | Nov 4 6:12pm
In reply to @colleenyoung "@sheridanb, I wanted to follow-up on the questions you asked. What did you learn from the..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

@sheridanb, I wanted to follow-up on the questions you asked. What did you learn from the oncologist? Is chemo being recommended? Were other options discussed?

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Our doctor decided it was time to change chemo drugs, so now Dan is on 3 weeks of GA, then a week off. Nice that this does not involve the 46 hour pump which he has had since last December. He's only had one treatment so it is too soon to tell how he will feel. The doctor said for radiation to be done on those lymph nodes would mean a break in chemo treatments so he did not recommend that. Thanks for asking.

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1 reply
marienewland | @mnewland99 | Nov 7 7:36am
In reply to @sheridanb "Our doctor decided it was time to change chemo drugs, so now Dan is on 3..." + (show)
@sheridanb

Our doctor decided it was time to change chemo drugs, so now Dan is on 3 weeks of GA, then a week off. Nice that this does not involve the 46 hour pump which he has had since last December. He's only had one treatment so it is too soon to tell how he will feel. The doctor said for radiation to be done on those lymph nodes would mean a break in chemo treatments so he did not recommend that. Thanks for asking.

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Break in chemo? Are you referring to traditional radiation or focused radiation like MRIdean? I had the latter done on a liver lesion and was able to remain on GA chemo during the process of receiving 3 treatments of the MRIdean or focused radiation. I’m in California and went to City of Hope in Irvine.

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1 reply
sheridanb | @sheridanb | Nov 8 11:05am
In reply to @mnewland99 "Break in chemo? Are you referring to traditional radiation or focused radiation like MRIdean? I had..." + (show)
@mnewland99

Break in chemo? Are you referring to traditional radiation or focused radiation like MRIdean? I had the latter done on a liver lesion and was able to remain on GA chemo during the process of receiving 3 treatments of the MRIdean or focused radiation. I’m in California and went to City of Hope in Irvine.

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Thank you. I didn't know of a difference, traditional vs focused. So I will have to ask the doctor about that. Thank you for letting me know there is one possible while on chemo.

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