Next steps

We saw Dr. Rez - our local oncologist today, and it looks like we have another modification of plans - at least a potential one. He is in contact with the doctor running trials of PLN1 - a chemotherapy treatment which is in trial at Vanderbilt. Dr. Rez thinks Rob may be a good candidate for the trials, and would like us to trek down to Vanderbilt so they can have a look. Currently we're waiting on the call from his office to tell us when they can fit us in. I'm really hoping it's within the next two weeks, because otherwise we have some tough decisions to make about whether he should go on his own, or wait another nearly three weeks to see them.

Not a lot of data available on PLN1 for renal cell carcinoma right now, but there's supposed to be a presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncologists annual meeting next week, and the buzz is that it's very promising.

Essentially, getting IL2 treatment would remove Rob as a candidate for the clinical trial, but doing PLN1 should leave IL2 open as a possible future treatment later - so in the general principle of not cutting off options before we have to, it makes sense to look at this first.

The plan of new CT scans and not doing anything until we look again in 12 weeks to get a baseline of tumor behavior remains intact, so even if Rob ends up in the PLN1 trial, it isn't likely to be for a few months. We should have a good deal more information about this particular treatment avenue after next week once the data are actually public.

Oh - and for anyone interested in the sort of oddball progression Rob is having, the keyword for searching turns out to be 'synchronous' - as in "Renal Cancer Synchronous Adrenal Metastases". There are apparently a whole 17 other previously recorded cases. (Thanks to my friend L for figuring that one out.)