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Here we go again!

On 1st June I had a blood test that reveal a raised CEA marker. At an appointment with Clinical Cancer Nurse Sue Roberts, she told me that the CEA number was 15, up from 3 in January. A CT Scan was expedited undertaken at Southlands Hospital.

At an appointment with Mr Baig, colorectal consultant I learnt that there were multiple peritoneal deposits. An appointment with Dr Webb, consultant oncologist followed on 21st July, and he ran through the scan images. Starting with the liver he showed that none of the deposits were affecting the organs. The 'deposits' shown on the scan were in the lower abdomen.

Dr Webb said that there would be an optimal window that had not been reach from the information available in July. As he said the chemotherapy makes patients feel unwell for little benefit.

A colonoscopy was next on 9th August and that showed a health colon with the resection scar that had healed very well.

A blood test on 22nd August showed a further rise of the CEA marker, up to 33. A phone consultation with a member of the Oncology team on 25th August brought the advice that chemotherapy should start. The treatment regime indicated by the profiling of the tumor is Folofiri, a combination of two infused drugs. This requires a PICC Line to be installed as the second drug is infused by pump over 46 hours at home.



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