Test Findings and Discussion

Due to overwhelming demand I am going to post the test findings.  Please skip over this part if you don’t want to know the specifics.  Here it is, cut and dry with no humor on the side.

So it was determined to the best of their ability it is an adrenal cortical carcinoma.  At least  90 + percent sure.  This is a rare tumor, something like 1 in 2 million of all cancers and has a 5 year survival rate of 20 - 35%.   One of the reason’s it took so long to diagnose and the reason for a lot of the tests, is they had to rule out another form of adrenal tumor called a pheochromocytoma.  That one is a little trickier and if they messed with it, the hormone release would cause uncontrollable increase in blood pressure and I would stroke out.

This one is bad enough.  It also increases blood pressure through cortisol.  My blood pressure has increased 40 pts in the last two months.  Tests confirm that my cortisol levels have stayed elevated even when trying to suppress it.  

The mass originated fom my right adrenal and has grown into and infiltrated my liver and right kidney .  If that is not bad enough, it as also infiltrated into my Inferior vena cava and is closing off the blood supply.  This is of critical concern and one of the reasons I have so little time to try and get this shrunk down.  The liver biopsy showed that the lesion seen on the liver are metastasis from the adrenal tumor.  The chest CT also showed lesions which are typical of such a tumor.  This definitely complicates things since the cancer is now throughout my lymph system and blood.  Good news, there were no lesion seen in my brain or spine.

Chemotherapy appears to be the treatment of choice at this time.  Radiation and surgery are not options due the size, invasiveness and spread to other sights. The protocol they are using has a 50% effectiveness rate.  This is best they have,  They will use an oral agent, Mitotan,  to zap my adrenals to help shrink the adrenal mass and lower the cortisol.  Also, a combination of three IV agents, Doxorubicin, CISplatin and Etoposide.  I will let you look them up.  The side effects are unreal.

Following chemo the surgeon said that the operation will be tricky.  He would have to first go in an remove half of my liver to get to the IVC.  He would then have to resection the IVC and take out the mass there.  Then he would move on to take out my right kidney and the mass while dealing with any other blood vessels and lymph seen at that time as well.

My current state of symptoms are shortness of breath, constant foot and leg swelling, hint of the start of tingling in feet, high blood pressure, which has increased 40 points in the last two months, constant abdominal and back pain which is aggravated by activity etc.  It is hard to lift or twist without straining abdomen.  Frequent urination, headaches that come and go, the occasional night fever and not sleeping for more than a few hours at a time seem to round it all out.

Well, it is all out on the table now.  Not the best scenario by any means.

Glenda and I can't tell you enough how powerful your support is to us.  Thanks for all your love.

Glenda tells me she is going to write a few blogs so stay tuned.

Till next time,

Brian