The next step
I have been trying to get more information regarding the unknown cause of pain that put me in the hospital last month. I was able to get a follow-up MRI done last week and the report was issued a couple of days ago. I have a follow-up appt with the surgery clinic on Monday morning but I wanted to see the report prior to then so I knew where things stood.
The report says that a 6 cm mass was noted in the region of my left adrenal gland and that a possible primary or metastatic lesion was present. It went on to describe a couple of indications that argue against it being a benign tumor including vascularization of the mass as well as some changes seen after contrast was given. While confirmed diagnosis can't be made until it comes out the report basically says that I most likely have a malignant adrenal carcinoma. Fuck.
Being a scientist of course one of the things I have done since finding this out was to look at the scientific literature to see what this means. Apparently adrenal carcinomas are a particularly aggressive and rare form of cancer. Based on what I know so far the treatment is to surgically remove the tumor (duh) then a course of chemo drugs and possibly radiation if it has spread to other parts of the body. The recurrence rate of this cancer is about 60% with a 5 year survival rate of about 30% overall but 58% at the stage that mine appears to be. If they find additional cancer in other parts of my body then the rate goes down considerably. Most of the low survival rate is due to the fact that most people don't have any symptoms until the tumor is large enough to have metastasized to other parts of the body and then most courses of therapy won't work. I think my case was discovered soon enough that I might get this out before it does that. I am expecting that my appointment on Monday will result in either getting a surgery date or a referral to the surgical oncologist I have seen once so far about this and that he will give me a surgery date. The sooner the better as far as I'm concerned.
I apologize if I appear to be melodramatic about this. This writing is mostly to help sort out the data that I've come across so far. I could be totally wrong. They could take it out and it turn out to be some sort of benign tumor. Based on my readings, that is unlikely, but not impossible. I'm not putting this out on facebook because it's just too much of a drama thing (not that it isn't here, but there are also very few of my friends still reading the few posts I put up here). It is a hell of a thing, reading a report that says this. I know this will be a long and likely very unpleasant road. As dumb as this may sound a small part of me wonders if this is the price I pay for the blessings and gifts I have been granted. I imagine that many people come up with all sorts of rationalizations at times like this. Regardless, I will update this journal as I find out more information. Please keep my family in your prayers, they will need strength through this.
The report says that a 6 cm mass was noted in the region of my left adrenal gland and that a possible primary or metastatic lesion was present. It went on to describe a couple of indications that argue against it being a benign tumor including vascularization of the mass as well as some changes seen after contrast was given. While confirmed diagnosis can't be made until it comes out the report basically says that I most likely have a malignant adrenal carcinoma. Fuck.
Being a scientist of course one of the things I have done since finding this out was to look at the scientific literature to see what this means. Apparently adrenal carcinomas are a particularly aggressive and rare form of cancer. Based on what I know so far the treatment is to surgically remove the tumor (duh) then a course of chemo drugs and possibly radiation if it has spread to other parts of the body. The recurrence rate of this cancer is about 60% with a 5 year survival rate of about 30% overall but 58% at the stage that mine appears to be. If they find additional cancer in other parts of my body then the rate goes down considerably. Most of the low survival rate is due to the fact that most people don't have any symptoms until the tumor is large enough to have metastasized to other parts of the body and then most courses of therapy won't work. I think my case was discovered soon enough that I might get this out before it does that. I am expecting that my appointment on Monday will result in either getting a surgery date or a referral to the surgical oncologist I have seen once so far about this and that he will give me a surgery date. The sooner the better as far as I'm concerned.
I apologize if I appear to be melodramatic about this. This writing is mostly to help sort out the data that I've come across so far. I could be totally wrong. They could take it out and it turn out to be some sort of benign tumor. Based on my readings, that is unlikely, but not impossible. I'm not putting this out on facebook because it's just too much of a drama thing (not that it isn't here, but there are also very few of my friends still reading the few posts I put up here). It is a hell of a thing, reading a report that says this. I know this will be a long and likely very unpleasant road. As dumb as this may sound a small part of me wonders if this is the price I pay for the blessings and gifts I have been granted. I imagine that many people come up with all sorts of rationalizations at times like this. Regardless, I will update this journal as I find out more information. Please keep my family in your prayers, they will need strength through this.