MOM just dx with Pancreatic Cancer Aug 20, 2012.
Did whipple surgery. Doing well.
Nov 2012 - just began oral Xeloda chemo and radiation for 5 weeks. Week 1 - Doing well.
Did pretty well during treatments. UPDATE: Cancer came back strong. Mom lost her courageous eight month battle April 2, 2013.
HUSBAND - Anaplastic Astrocytoma grade 3
UPDATE: 2/2013 scans looked great. Going off Avastin treatments after being on last nine months.
UPDATE: 11/2012 "stable" and continuing Avastin every 3 weeks
UPDATE: 7/20/12 "Slightly better" scans noted on July MRI reading. Continuing Avastin only every 3 weeks. Husband is doing well with treatment. All labs look good. Avastin has been a lifesaver for him.
OUR STORY IN A GLANCE:
8/5/08 Surgery (6 weeks in Minneapolis hospital)
8/20/08 DX Anaplastic Astrocytoma Grade 3
10/2008 began 6 weeks Radiation
01/2009 Began Temador - 1 week on, 1 week off for total of 10 weeks.
03/2009 Residual tumor growing Began Avastin for 1 year
OFF Avastin for 6 moS
09/2010 Back on Avastin for 1 year
OFF Avastin for 7 mos
05/2012 Back on Avastin. SEE ABOVE FOR LATEST UPDATE
UPDATE: 5/2/12 Slight progression noted on lastest MRI reading of 4/5/12. Starting Avastin again every 3 weeks. Saddened!!
Hi, my 53 year old husband, Marc, has brain cancer (anaplastic astrocytoma grade 3) diagnosed Aug. 2008. Surgery, radiation, temador, CPT-11(1 treatment) and Avastin 1 year, then stopped treatments 6 mos, then cancer returned. Back on Avastin every 2 weeks since mid Sept. 2010. Just got MRI scan results and progression looks "better". Short term memory a big problem but other than that there is no pain and he is in great spirits. I just read the Tug McGraw Ya Gotta Believe book, Brain Surgeon by Keith Black and AntiCancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan Schreiber, MD, PHD. These are all very informative reads and I feel highly educated now on this subject. All is well for now, just curious how other survivors and caregivers are doing. Please feel free to visit our Caringbridge site.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/marctaylor
Update 7-9-11 My husband had an MRI last month and there is "slight robust enhancement" again in same problem area. Doctors are not in agreement that it is tumor surfacing again. So he will continue Avastin every 3 weeks until next MRI in Sept. 2011. He was asked to do interviews a few weeks ago with two ABC affiliate news channels in Louisiana regarding the controversial cancer drug Avastin. Below are the links.
http://www.wbrz.com/videoplayer/?video_id=7685
http://www.katc.com/videos/avastin-vote/
Update 10-5-11 (3 YEAR SURVIVOR) My husband had MRI last month and after being on Avastin a full year (this round) he was taken off treatment. His is stable with no new growth. Praying and will never give up HOPE that he will stay healthy and strong and able to fight this ugly GBM war.