hi everyone!!!

[Sercan]

i think you are right! i will get my B-hcg checked tomorrow by myself! but there will be some problem;the system that new hospital uses is different from the previous one so there may be some differences

[Karen]

he said it isnt possible to rise of a marker while the other is falling,

Yes, it certainly is possible. Your normalized AFP indicates the EC and yolk sac components may no longer be present, but you don't know if your seminoma was B-HCG positive. Therefore, growth of seminoma will not elevate AFP but may elevate B-HCG. All three markers should be checked in all patients since there is also an increased risk of a second primary TC.

I'm a little concerned that your doc said this. What is your schedule for CT scan and chest X-rays or was he planning on just doing AFP for your follow ups?

[Sercan]

update time!!!

today i got my results! but abit confused

my afp went down again 2.7 (max 7)
but b-hcg raised to 6.01 (max 10)

now any suggestion?

[Karen]

Sercan,
Good news on the AFP! Your B-HCG is within the normal range for your lab (it makes me crazy that "normal" can be anywhere from <2 to <10!). Is your next follow up in a month? Might be a good idea to do a repeat in 2 weeks also to see if this is a blip or a trend.

[Sercan]

b-hcg

i had my b-hcg checked today at a different hospital but this this time with LH ,FSH to see if they are the cause or not

B-hcg: 4.6 (max 5)
FSH : 3.85
LH : 1.97

but couldn't talk to doc yet, tuesday is appointment day.

and if this means cancer is there, will i be able to choose RPLND for treatment?

[Karen]

Sercan,
Your markers all all within the normal range, in both tests, so other than monitering them right now I don't think you need to worry about anything else. It is imporatant to stick to ONE, reliable lab so that normal lab-to-lab variations don't occur and worry you. Except for monitoring the markers right now, perhaps more frequently is you are concerned, is all you can do now, in my personal opinion. You are 3 months out from the I/O and I don't see any scan ressults posted....has one been done?
http://www.nccn.org will take you to the most recent NCCN guidelines, which are used here in the US. Please refer to the follow up for non-seminoma on what your surveillance needs to be. You might want to review these prior to your appointment Tuesday and chat with your doc about the schedule you're on.

[Sercan]

bad newss

I have got my CT results today but i havent gone to hospital yet. the result is (i think is not good)
i will try to translate it in to english.

as a conclusion, what are the options for me?


"there can be seen as a LAP ~3 cm in Aortaintercaval and ~2,5 cm in paraaortic region and there are lymphatic nodes smaller than 1 cm nearby."

[Fed]

Hey Sercan,

Unfortunately this sounds like lymphadenopathy, and with two lymph nodes larger than 2 cm, this changes your staging to II-B. Although my knowledge of gross anatomy is not too good, what I do know is that you will likely have two options to consider: RPLND or chemo. Since your nodes have enlarged, and your markers last time were on the higher side of normal, it is likely you will get chemo (either 3xBEP or 4xEP). Any residual masses, be it teratoma or scar tissue, can be resected with an RPLND. There also may be the option to do an RPLND first, but the issue is the large relative proportion of embryonal carcinoma in your pathology. Plus, a surgeon may want to de-bulk the masses before doing surgery, and chemo will do this.

I am really sorry that you will likely need further treatment. Nonetheless, if you move quickly, you will certainly be cured. Hang in there. Many people here have gone through this very same process and will be more than glad to help guide you through this. Stay strong, and let us know if you have further questions.

[Sercan]

weird

i have some questions.. now i am stage II-B

what is the meaning of surveillance if i cant catch the cancer before it has grown 3 cm? in august there is no clue about enarged nodes,no maker elevation so far,either, in two months time they have become 3 cm? there isn't something wrong? is there a possiblity of not detecting them in the first CT?

fed! can you help me about this? thanks

[Fed]

what is the meaning of surveillance if i cant catch the cancer before it has grown 3 cm?

You had your I/O at the end of July. When was your first post-I/O CT scan? In the U.S., the guidelines state that with non-seminoma on surveillance, one should have markers (HCG, AFP, LDH) drawn and chest X-rays every 4-8 weeks and CT scans every 2-3 months. CT scans are usually good enough to detect things down to 0.5 cm. Did they compare your most recent CT scan with the previous one? I have no basis for saying whether a growth to 3 cm is fast because we don't know whether those specific nodes were seen in your previous scan.

The point of surveillance is to detect recurrences at an early stage. Do you have copies of your scans and reports? If not, you should get them. You should also discuss all of this with your oncologist promptly and get all 3 markers drawn again, since your last set was taken on October 5. If this growth is real, then you will need to get treated promptly, because, based on your pathology, it is likely due to the embryonal carcinoma component.

Let us know if you need more guidance. Like I said above, the priority should be to see your oncologist immediately.

[Sercan]

Bep

i will start 3xBEP on monday as my doctor suggests

wish me luck!! sometimes i may have to ask some questions here..

i will have my sperms frozen tomorrow (i hope i wont need )

that's all now

[Fed]

Hey man,
I noticed that you posted your new markers, and it clearly shows that they are going up. Although I am sorry to hear that you will need chemo, I am comforted by the fact that you are getting the treatment you need and are now on the way to being cured. Good call on banking sperm, as well. Best of luck with your chemo regimen, and let us know how you are doing. Many have posted here on how to deal with the side effects of 3xBEP, so peruse around and keep asking questions as they come by. All the best,

[Margaret]

I wish you the best of luck with your chemo. My husband had 4 rounds of bep and we will do our best to help if you have any questions or need help.

[MRMRSU]

Hey Sercan...wishing you much luck with your chemo treatments. I'm sure it feels good that you have made a decision on your next course to fight this disease. Best wishes!

[Sercan]

First BEP

it is now 8 days since i started my BEP cycle.

-i feel like bubble-head
-i have ringings in my ears
-a bit numbness around my legs and knees
-feel tired

these are normal ehh?

and i want to know is it possible to feel like after chemo like before chemo?