--- In testicularcancersupport@y..., Allan Jagos <ajagos@y...> wrote:
> I started this past monthly on a 3xBEP regimen. So
> far I have been more tired then usual and have
> headaches. Rest and tylenol are helping me to feel
> decent. I usually here that the 1st cycle is not too
> bad but cycles 2 and 3 get worse. But I guess
> everyone is different. My cancer has spread into my
> lymph nodes and I have no marker readings. This is
> concerning to me since markers are a good way of
> seeing if the cancer is going away, staying away, etc.
>
> Thanks for your message,
> Allan
>
Hello Allen,
About I two and a half years ago I was diagnosed with a seminoma
cancer. My oncologist is Dr. Craig Nichols, who also is Lance
Armstrong's oncologist. After my initial surgery, I was given the
choice of immediate radiation follow-up or watching closely for a
year. I decided to minimize my radiation risk by watching. I went
in every six weeks for blood marker tests and, alternated between
chest X-rays and CT. Over the course of a year, one lymph node
appeared to enlarge. We were going to do a biopsy, but instead did
a PET (Positron Emission Tomography). It was an amazing experience
and gave us more information than a biopsy. It showed that one and
only one lymph node was active. A biopsy would have only confirmed
that the one node was active. Of course this doesn't mean that
other sites couldn't have undetectably small numbers of cancer
cells. Fortunately, seminomas are very susceptible to radiation. I
went through a one-month series of treatments and we haven't seen a
sign of cancer in over eighteen months. It might not be a bad idea
to ask your doctor about the possibility of using PET to identify
high-metabolism (cancer) cells. It sounds like you are on the right
path.
Roger