Phew!

Brain cancer is...

...holding steady.  (Phew!)

Acceptable news on the cancer front today.  To get right to the point:

• Darrell's Optune data download shows that he was online for treatment for a 93.18% daily average.  Recall that minimal compliance is 75% (18 hours per day).  Big D, the Optune Super Hero!  The data are in an Excel sheet that looks like this:

• Dr. Park and Dr. Dolkar both read the MRI scans.  The perfusion scan is a baseline because it was the first time he's had one.  He'll have it monthly.  So not much news there.

  

  Bottom row contains perfusion scan slides

• The regular MRI scans continue to show "bright spots" around the tumor cavity rim.  It's not possible to say there's discernible change from last month to this.  So no one can say, "Clear!" but similarly they did NOT say there was clear evidence of tumor progression.  We'll take it!  Phew.
• Many of you know that starting in mid May speech became more labored for Darrell.  A few different things may be at the cause:  Tumor regrowth (not yet detected in scans), necrosis (cells continuing to die, which is actually a good thing), or swelling from treatment.  The MRI images, below, show swelling around the resection site in April (left) and May (right).  Note that swelling  increased markedly in May:

Swelling is circled in blue.

•  As a result, Darrell started a very low dose of steroids today to reduce swelling.  If they have an effect, it will be fast--a matter of days.  We'll keep you posted.  
• All that's left for the big cancer day is double chemo.  A breeze!

So many of you were sending us prayers and lighting mental candles and singing songs in your hearts for Darrell today.  They all made it to him.  You make everything a little better.

Here's hoping for a slow news day tomorrow.