Oncology

I had my initial consult with my oncologist yesterday. He was very knowledgeable and took his time explaining things and answering our questions. I didn't walk away with much more knowledge than when I walked in, but he confirmed a lot of what I had suspected or knew.

He confirmed the lung cancer diagnosis of course. Obviously, lung cancer is terminal, but this can be misleading. It could be 2 years or 20+ years depending on a variety of factors. My cancer is technically Stage 4 because it is not confined to the tumor itself. They actually found the cancer in the fluid drained from my chest. This is considered metastasis even if it has not spread to other parts of my body. Because of this metastasis, it falls into Stage 4. The average life expectancy of a Stage 4 lung cancer patient in general is less than 1 year. For my particular cancer genotype, the average survival is closer to 4 years.

Those are just facts and data without context. I am giving averages which hide the real figures. This implies some people live shorter and some longer lives. Numerous factors affect these figures and survival rates such as age, comorbidities (other diseases/illnesses), overall health, and adjuvant therapies or lifestyle changes. Keep in mind the average age of lung cancer diagnosis is 65 and older and the vast majority have at least one other chronic health issue requiring medication. This puts the statistics in a much different context considering I am 20 years younger, quite healthy, without any other diseases, and not taking any medications.

The oncologist prescribed a drug called Osimertinib which is just pill I can take at home. It is the top of the line treatment right now for my specific cancer type with good results. The cost of that drug is roughly $17,000 per month. I'm grateful for excellent health insurance.

However, what we don't yet know is whether the cancer is confined to the tumor in my left lung or has it gone to my brain and/or other places. This may alter the treatment approach. My PET scan is Thursday and my brain MRI is next week. This will provide definitive results on the extent of metastasis.

In the mean time, my diet is going well but it has been tough to consume enough calories. I don't have much appetite. Also, I’m still sleeping a lot and fatigued all day. I will update everyone as I get more data.

-Jeremy