One scan can change the air in a room. You hear partial response or complete response, and your mind starts filling in blanks that no one has explained yet. If you are navigating cancer treatment or living in remission, these terms are vital. They shape your hope, your fears, and your next medical decisions. Because…
Read moreCategory: Articles on cancer and other life-threatening diseases
Understanding Pseudoprogression During Immunotherapy
A scan can knock the breath out of you. You start treatment, hold onto hope, then hear that a tumor looks bigger. How could that possibly be good news? When you experience pseudoprogression during immunotherapy, the first picture can look worse even when the treatment is beginning to succeed. This phenomenon is most frequently observed…
Read moreYou Are Not Your Diagnosis
The Real Work of Living a Full Life When Illness Moves In and Refuses to LeaveNo one ever requests it. No single person has ever willingly accepted a serious illness diagnosis. Serious illnesses come without advance notice. Without your permission. Without explanation. You go to bed as you. You wake as you. But in between…
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The Road I Did Not Choose, and Why I Am Thankful I Stayed On It
I have multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer. I do not think I should feel proud of that. I am not sure pride and cancer belong in the same sentence. Cancer came without warning. At first, I felt tired. Then I felt worn down. Before long, my body began to lose ground. A long time…
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Recurrence, Progression, and Relapse in Plain English
One word from a scan report can rearrange your whole day. Recurrence, progression, and relapse sound close enough to blur together when you are scared, tired, and waiting for answers. It is common to feel overwhelmed by the subtle distinctions of recurrence vs progression vs relapse. But they do not mean the same thing. The…
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