Tuesday January 9, 2007

Hello again,

Mom and I are here in Houston again at MD Anderson. We received Mom's biopsy results yesterday and learned that her tumor was made up of myeloma cells, which means she has cancer. Myeloma means that some of her plasma cells, which are a form of white blood cell, are not working properly. We met with a new doctor yesterday who specializes in myeloma. She said Mom either has solitary plasmacytoma or multiple myeloma and the extra tests that we are doing this week will determine which she has. I'm going to do my best to explain both conditions, but let me emphasize again that we do not yet know which she has. At the bottom of the email I have included a few links to websites with pertinent information to her condition.

Solitary Plasmacytoma:
Solitary plasmacytoma means that the cancerous plasma cells are localized to her femur and are not anywhere else in her body. If this is the diagnosis she will likely undergo localized radiation treatment to shrink her tumor and may or may not need surgery. She will then be checked several times a year to make sure that her solitary plasmacytoma does not progress into multiple myeloma. 35% of patients are cured with radiation, though they have no way of predicting which patients will be cured and which will have the disease progress into multiple myeloma.

Multiple Myeloma:
Multiple myeloma is a more systemic disease, meaning that the cancerous plasma cells are in her blood and elsewhere in her body. If this is the diagnosis she will likely undergo chemotherapy and other treatments depending on how aggressive the cancer is. This type of cancer is never truly cured, but can be treated and managed quite effectively long term.

While here in Houston Mom has had full-body Xrays, more blood work, and a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. She is feeling well and is still in good spirits. The full array of tests will help the doctors determine her ultimate diagnosis. We won't have the results of these tests and a final diagnosis until the end of next week at least and it is likely that they will ask us to return to Houston for the diagnosis and a discussion of the treatment options and protocols.

We know that the news of cancer is not what any of us were hoping for, but the doctors have assured us that either condition is treatable and manageable. We are lucky that Mom is young and healthy and has a fighting spirit and all of those things will certainly work in her favor throughout all of this. We ask, as always, that you keep her in your prayers and we will be in touch again as soon as we know anything.

More information on Plasma cells: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_cell
More information on solitary plasmacytoma: http://patient.cancerconsultants.com/myeloma_cancer_treatment.aspx?id=839
More information on multiple myeloma: http://patient.cancerconsultants.com/myeloma_cancer_treatment.aspx?id=830