Great checkup at MD Anderson

Since radiation in November, I have not been on any treatment because my CA 19-9 had dropped to 12. Well, after bloodwork, it shows my CA 19-9 has again dropped to 9.2!!! My tumor is slightly turning the same color as my liver……it is so stable that we were sent home with no orders for another 3 months!! Dr. Milind Javle says I am as stable as can be……its not usual to be as stable as I am…and the fact that my cancer marker is still moving in the downward direction. My liver and kidneys are in great shape….and the liver is regenerating from the radiation.
I asked Dr. Javle about Immunotherapy and since my tumor was so stable wouldn’t it be a great time to attack it? He said he agreed it made sense but that is not how it would work. First off, Immunotherapy is still in clinical trials but has been approved for melanomas and lung cancer tumors. GET THIS: He stated he believes and hopes that Immunotherapy will be approved to start using in about a year if it is approved for CC. He truly believes it will work on CC and that it will be approved. I asked that if it was approved….could I immediately start getting it….he stated NO…you would THINK it would be like the Measles shot (you get the shot BEFORE you get the measles) but with Immunotherapy—you have to have an active tumor/tumors to start the process of Immunotherapy. I left feeling so hopeful and that it is just a matter of time (which we all know is sometimes NOT on our side) before we can squish cancer (even for our rare CC)!! Feeling blessed to hear all of this first hand from one of the top drs in the US. at MD Anderson for cholangiocarcinoma!!!!