Great CT Scan Results Today!!!!

I am very excited to share the wonderful news we got today!   Brody's CT Scan shows that Brody's tumor has gotten a little smaller.    There even appears to be some areas that looked active on the last scan that look to be necrotic tissue this time. 

We have been so worried that his tumor has been getting bigger because of the sudden changes in Brody's kidney function.  We were worried it was the tumor getting larger that was causing the sudden problems.  Today's scan shows that there is no new growth of his tumor around his right and only kidney.  The tumor is all to the left side.  The area that looked a little larger around his bowel on the last scan done without contrast looked the same size today and appeared to not be "actively growing."    Overall there appeared to be less area of the tumor that looked to be "active tumor" compared to previous scans since his big surgery in March. 

It is suspected that Brody's recent problems with his kidney function are instead related to damage to his ureter either during the placement of previous stent or during the removal of the stent.  His kidney function has been much better since placing a new internal stent in his ureter.  It is expected that Brody will continue to need this internal stent.  It will need replaced about every 3 months. 

We have shared with some friends and family that we have been looking into and taking steps to get Brody enrolled in a trial in Grand Rapids, Michigan due to our fears that his current chemo regimen was no longer keeping the tumor from getting larger.  We likely will not yet be starting this trial after today's CT scan results.  We will continue with his current regimen as long as things are improved or stable.  We do plan to meet with the team in Grand Rapids, Michigan and have sent all of his records there.  We are getting all of our "ducks in row" to be ready to move quickly to this trial if the current regimen should stop working.  (Our oncologist says it's a matter of "when" it will stop working, not "if".  He expects eventually the tumor will progress despite the success we have had so far with it).  It will be nice to meet with the team in Grand Rapids, Michigan too for a second opinion, in general.