Mom-Date

I will be posting periodic "mom-dates" to keep those concerned up to date on my mother's battle with cancer.

Today she received some good news and some bad news.

The bad news first: initial reports were that the bone cancer was in three spots, the hip, the lower spine and the skull. After consulting with the oncologist it appears that over 90% of her skeletal structure is affected by the cancer. With the cancer being so widespread it limits the use of radiation as a treatment until some later date.

The good news: though the cancer has spread through out the skeletal structure the oncologist is cautiously optimistic that it has not spread to any vital organs. Based on my mother's history he believes that the cancer is slow growing.

On Monday she will have a PET scan and an MRI. The oncologist will use the results of these two tests to determine the best location for a biopsy scheduled for Thursday. If it has not spread beyond the bone he will take a sample from on of the more afflicted areas of the skeletal structure. If other organs are involved he will take the biopsy from one them.

Her long-term prognosis depends a lot on the location. If the cancer is limited to the bones he believes that her chances are good for a minimum of five years with the current treatments that are available. If the cancer has spread beyond the bone than a lot will depend on where it is located and how much of the organ is involved.