I had my first meeting and first sample collection for the first series of genetic testing, with my new oncologist.
She's one of the leading oncologists in biologic and genetic immunotherapies. The good news is she thinks that yeah, the large defined mass circled in green is almost certainly cancer, but there's a good chance the orange stuff is either not cancer, or is not sufficiently advanced that it I wouldn't be a good candidate for immunotherapy, and that I have a good chance of responding well to it. Maybe double or triple the chance of surviving a year or more than my surgeon was thinking...
...If... and it's a BIG IF...
...the genetic testing comes back showing that I am a good candidate and the cancer is the right kind of cancer with the right genetic and molecular makeup.
Oh and yeah, there's apparently new kinds of pathology and new kinds of molecular testing of the cancer tissues that helps them tailor the treatment exactly to your cancer, with biologic or genetic immunotherapy.
I'm having a biopsy in the next few days or week and they'll send that tissue out for both genetic and molecular analysis, as well as conventional pathology. Those various series of tests are going to take 3 to 6 week.
So... yeah... I'll know more in 3-6 weeks
