Radioembolization

We met with Dr. Martinez in Indianapolis last week. He made a good first impression; Rob and I really liked him. He was really friendly and very knowledgeable. He showed us the most recent CAT scan of my liver. The mass on my left lobe is the main problem. The tumor kind of looks like a hand spread out with fingers. This is the tumor that the doctors always refer to as the "mean, ugly one". Then on the right side of my liver there are two "normal" shaped tumors. Dr. Martinez explained the treatment called Radioembolization. It is a targeted treatment for liver tumors that delivers millions of tiny radioactive beads called SIR-Spheres microshperes directly to the tumors. It has proven to be 80% - 90% effective in treating liver metastases. It may work at shrinking the tumors and/or preventing them from growing for at least 5 months. Sometimes it is effective 10 - 14 months, depending on the patient. As with any type of treatment, each person responds differently. If this type of treatment is successful and my body holds up, he can do the procedure again. He can continue to treat me on an as needed basis. It is not a one shot deal. However, if the tumors do not respond, then the next step would be Chemoembolization. Chemoembolization is much harder on my body as a whole. He said it still may be a great treatment option for me on down the road. So, hopefully we will not have to resort to that right now. After the insurance gets approved, the first step will be vein mapping. Hopefully, all of my veins are working properly and flowing the way they should. If there is any abnormality, Dr. Martinez will not be able to perform the procedure to administer this type of treatment. There is too much risk involved. If the vein mapping turns out regular, then we are all set for things to move forward. Needless to say, Rob and I are very encouraged by these treatment options. It is just the type of hope we needed.