Full Report

[Scott]

I finished 4xBEP two weeks ago...

You might ask if it's too soon for a PET scan. According to a recent post on TC-NET, "You can't have a PET scan until you are six weeks past the end of chemo. If you do the PET scan too soon, inflammatory changes from the chemo may result in a false negative (i.e., the inflammation soaks up all the FDG, leaving nothing for the tumors to soak up if they are still active)."

[Fish]

Hi Al:

Glad to hear you're finished with chemo. I agree with Diane, since your tumor markers are back to normal, I'd say there is a good chance that the tumors are now just dead tissue and/or scar tissue. The PET scan should be able to determine if there are any live cancer cells remaining, but it sounds like they killed all the cancer.

Best wishes.

[DianeE]

Hi Al,

I don't know much about it, but I believe a lot of the guys had
dead tissue leftover after chemo and that might be what you have.
I'm sure some of the folks who know about it will give you answers.

Great to hear from you and I'm glad you're finished with the chemo.
If your numbers are normal, it sounds like the chemo worked!

Diane

[Alucard]

Pet

Hey,

I finished 4xBEP two weeks ago and I'm back to normal and everything.

Those tumours I have on my lungs are still there but there AFP/bHCG are ok after the chemotherapy.

I don't know if that's right, what's the purpose of the chemotherapy if they are still there? I have a PET scan next week. How is it like? The doctor said that based on the PET scan he would tell me if I need more chemotherapy or if I will only have to keep checking my blood every three months.

What should I ask him? I'm kind of lost here.

Thanks in advance,

Al

[Alucard]

Everything is alright.. I felt like crap during the first 5 days of the 3rd round but I am much much better now, almost normal. Zofran is wonderful.

Like the other guys, I can't work so staying home drives me crazy sometimes but it's not that bad.

I don't know if it will be over even after the 4th cycle though, when I breathe I feel this thing on my right lung like it's really messed up, I don't know, all they say is that I have to take painkillers when the pain is real bad. I am waiting to see, the doctor said I should do all the blood tests, ct, x-rays etc 2 weeks after the last day of chemo to see how it went.

Al

[dadmo]

Now the end is clearly in sight. How are you feeling? How is your blood work?

[Alucard]

3rd BEP cycle over. Next starting 20/6.

[Jens]

Hi Al.

Just hang in there. You will be fine!

Best wishes
Jens

[dadmo]

Alucard:
If you didn't have anxiety that would be a problem.

[Alucard]

Hi Al.

How are you doing?

Best wishes
Jens

Hi,

I'm doing ok, thanks. I went to the hospital today for blood tests and tomorrow I'll probably get a BEP round. Not a lot of side effects, they give me Zofran and it's perfect. Just getting too worried sometimes since I had to delay studies and other stuff because of chemotherapy.. I have a problem with anxiety but I'm getting over it. Thanks for asking.

-Al

[Jens]

Hi Al.

How are you doing?

Best wishes
Jens

[Alucard]

Chemotherapy

Finished second cycle yesterday and I don't feel so bad! Can't wait to start the next cycle, 25/5/2006.

-Al

[Scott]

Scott, the report says "Choriocarcinoma, biphasic" and I didn't find much about this here in the forums.. any idea what that is? I thought I had non-seminoma.

Choriocarcinoma is one type of non-seminoma, along with embryonal carcinoma, yolk sac, and teratoma. I'm afraid I don't know the significance of its classification as biphasic versus monophasic.

[Alucard]

That's a good size tumor. Couldn't have been too comfortable.

Heh, it wasn't really a huge "ball", hehe, it was shaped like an evil potato or something.. hard to explain. The reason is that I was in the hands of a couple of retards who wanted to cure me with the most stupid tools ever and that delayed my treatment since I was diagnosed so it was growing in a weekly basis, very fast, horrible thing.. I'm glad it's gone now.

Scott, the report says "Choriocarcinoma, biphasic" and I didn't find much about this here in the forums.. any idea what that is? I thought I had non-seminoma..

-Al

[Scott]

...a tumour 9x7.5x7...

That's a good size tumor. Couldn't have been too comfortable.