20 October 2009

 

See my cancer

Here, take a look at this extremely cool and scientifically amazing picture:

Derek's tumours CT scan - Oct 2009

That's me, via a few slices from my latest CT scan, taken at the end of September 2009. I opened the files provided to me by the B.C. Cancer Agency's Diagnostic Imaging department using the open-source program OsiriX, giving me my first chance to take a first-hand look at my cancer in almost a year. Before that, the I'd only seen my original colon tumour on the flexible sigmoidoscopy camera almost three years ago.

I've circled the biggest lung tumours metastasized from my original colon cancer (which was removed by surgery in mid-2007). You can see the one in my upper left lung and two (one right behind the other) in my lower left lung. There are six more tumours, all smaller, not easily visible in this view. I'm not a radiologist, so I couldn't readily distinguish the smallest ones from regular lung matter and other tissue. Nevertheless, now we can all see what I'm dealing with.

These blobs of cancer have all grown slightly since I started treatment with cediranib in November 2008. To my untrained eye, the view doesn't look that different from the last time I saw my scan in December of that year, which is fairly good as far as I'm concerned. Not as good as if they'd stabilized or shrunk, but better than many other possibilities.

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Comments:

Is it just me or do you also see James Bond in a tux talking on a cell phone in the leftmost image?
 
The one that's highest in your chest on the centre image looks a bit like a Pokemon.

Well, I guess the news could be better, but it could be a lot worse. So that's something.
 
I'm sure there's a Virgin Mary on a cheese sandwich in there somewhere.
 
Speaking of toast, have you seen the Hello Kitty toaster? I know where you can buy this in Metrotown mall FYI.
 
link: images.google.ca/images?q=hello+kitty+toast