Radioebmalization Mapping and New Pills

We're almost halfway through January, and it may be a bit late saying this, but happy new year everyone.  Just wanted to provide a quick update on where we are with treatment and what's coming up this week.

Radioembalization Mapping: This Wednesday, 1/13, I'll be undergoing the mapping procedure (outpatient) for the radioembalization.  This includes a small camera/tube going up through my legs to my liver, and mapping out the blood vessels relative to the tumors.  This is to identify the vessels that feed the tumors, and the blood vessels that go to other organs.  They will then put coils to block the blood vessels that feed other organs, and use a low dose radiation to ensure that they are accurate in planning the placement for implanting the radioactive beads.

After the mapping is complete, they will calculate the exact dose required for the tumors, and order them.  The beads are Yttrium-90 (Y90), which are radioactive material in glass and will be implanted in the blood vessels that are found to feed tumors to prevent the tumors from dividing and hopefully removing them altogether.   The implanting of the beads will be 1-2 weeks after the mapping, which has yet to be scheduled.  It takes time for the radiation to work, and we'll check the success of this procedure and the new oral chemo via CT scan in a couple months.

The side effects from the radiation should be minimal, definitely less than the chemos I was on (folfoxiri, folfox, folfiri).  With that said, there will be nausea, fatigue, and some soreness from the access point in my legs.  There is also a chance that if this is successful, that I'll undergo this procedure again.  As long as my liver is functioning well, this will continue to be an option, and as long as the tumors in the lungs don't grow, this could be a great long-term treatment.

New Pills: Today I picked up my new oral chemo pills, cleverly named TAS-102 during clinical trials, now known as triflurudine.  I take 4 of these pills (65mg) twice a day, and while they are very new to the market (about a year after FDA approval), they seem to be quite successful in combating colon cancer and may be elevated to first-line treatment.  Although the standard side effects (nausea, fatigue, hair loss, hand/foot syndrome) are present, this will also be easier to deal with than the IV chemo.  One last side-note, a single 28 day dose of these pills are over $8200!  Thank God for insurance and good coverage!

Send prayers/vibes/thoughts/hopes/etc for the mapping on Wednesday that the tumors are well placed relative to the blood vessels, and that there are no complications (which I really don't expect).  Thanks again for reading and in a few days I'll update on how the mapping went.  Cheers!