Mixed news

Well what a week.  

Jumping to the end and reading backwards... my treatment is changing from Folfiri, to Folfox.  The difference is on the key drug (from Irinotecan to Oxaliplatin: see what they did with the trade names?), which has a different action.

We're changing because yesterday's hastily arranged scan indicates the cancer in my liver is showing signs of resistance to Folfiri.  This is to be expected (and was suspected when my CEA number stopped falling, even though the timing seems a tad earlier than the average) - in the clinic roughly half of us are on one with the others on the other; and many if not most of us switch at some point (as it happens, a fellow patient we know well is going the opposite way at the same time).

I'm also switching MAB, to Avastin(!) which complements Folfox and also has a different action to Cetuximab.

But the really good news is the scan shows it's not spread, that the primary is stable, and (most critically) the pains in my lower ribs I had on Monday, which caused the scan's hasty reschedule, were not as first thought related to any "developments" in either bowel or liver - not that any of us (medical or otherwise) can now explain them!

It also seems the effect so far of the resistance is minor and we are definitely "steady as she goes", just on a different ship (bear in mind the fact that we have something to change to is a modern miracle).

Side effects may be slightly different: trading current "significant" funny tummy for a less testing digestive system, but with tingling fingers and sensitivity to cold.  On balance, l'll happily make the trade!

Oh, and a small short term benefit: because of the short notice of the switch, we get an extra week off, starting Folfox next Thursday with Avastin added in the next cycle - so we're looking forward to a GOOD week "off"!!