1. How long has the tumor been inside Roberto?
Short answer: We have no idea. The doctors won't even take a guess.
Longer answer: If you compare the CT scans from June and July, the tumor seems to double in size ... maybe. It's hard for me to judge since I'm not a medical expert. What I can surmise from those scans is that the tumor was growing rapidly prior to chemo. The tumor might have started growing sometime in May, if not earlier. However, that might be *just* the seminoma part (the rapidly-growing type of cancer); we don't know much about the teratoma part.
2. What is this seminoma and teratoma you're talking about?
Roberto's tumor consists of two types of cells: seminoma and teratoma. The biopsy results from the pathologists said that the tumor is seminoma with teratoma elements.
Seminoma is a type of germ-cell tumor that grows rapidly but responds well to chemotherapy. When you look at the CT scans, most of the tumor is probably seminoma (again I'm no medical expert). Roberto's tumor is associated with testicular cancer. Yes, we know that the chest is not the testicles; the doctors we have are not charlatans. Roberto has the less common case of the seminoma occurring outside the testicles.
Teratoma is something completely different. It usually consists of cells that differ from neighboring cells, and may contain teeth and hair! We don't have that much information about the teratoma in Roberto because, it seems, the tumor consists mostly of seminoma. However, we do know that Roberto will require surgery to remove the teratoma because it does not respond as well to chemotherapy as the seminoma does.
3. What's the treatment plan?
Roberto will do chemotherapy and then surgery once the chemotherapy is complete.
The chemotherapy will be 12-weeks long and started July 22nd. The treatment consists of four cycles that are three-weeks long. In the first week, Roberto receives chemotherapy drugs. The second and third weeks are for recovery to replenish his blood cell count and to rest the body from enduring the side effects of the drugs.
We don't have much information about the surgery right now (August 28th). We speculate that Roberto *may* need to have the ribs broken off his sternum so that the surgeons can access the tumor. That $#*%@! scares me so I try not to think about it too much. There is also the possibility of laparoscopic surgery (using a tube inserted into the chest). Until we know what is left over after chemotherapy, we won't know what surgery Roberto will undergo.
4. What can I do to help?
What ever you can! Right now, morale support is clutch for Roberto. Receiving and reading cards are fun and uplifting surprises during the week as are gifts. Short messages via the internet are also good too, but don't expect immediate responses. If you're reading this, just take a minute to send a "Robostrong!" to Roberto.
5. What the **** is Robostrong?
Hey, it's a cool word coined by Eric, a friend of Roberto's. It's like Livestrong but the Live is replaced with Robo (Roberto's nickname). Yeeeeaaahhh, now you get it!
Short answer: We have no idea. The doctors won't even take a guess.
Longer answer: If you compare the CT scans from June and July, the tumor seems to double in size ... maybe. It's hard for me to judge since I'm not a medical expert. What I can surmise from those scans is that the tumor was growing rapidly prior to chemo. The tumor might have started growing sometime in May, if not earlier. However, that might be *just* the seminoma part (the rapidly-growing type of cancer); we don't know much about the teratoma part.
2. What is this seminoma and teratoma you're talking about?
Roberto's tumor consists of two types of cells: seminoma and teratoma. The biopsy results from the pathologists said that the tumor is seminoma with teratoma elements.
Seminoma is a type of germ-cell tumor that grows rapidly but responds well to chemotherapy. When you look at the CT scans, most of the tumor is probably seminoma (again I'm no medical expert). Roberto's tumor is associated with testicular cancer. Yes, we know that the chest is not the testicles; the doctors we have are not charlatans. Roberto has the less common case of the seminoma occurring outside the testicles.
Teratoma is something completely different. It usually consists of cells that differ from neighboring cells, and may contain teeth and hair! We don't have that much information about the teratoma in Roberto because, it seems, the tumor consists mostly of seminoma. However, we do know that Roberto will require surgery to remove the teratoma because it does not respond as well to chemotherapy as the seminoma does.
3. What's the treatment plan?
Roberto will do chemotherapy and then surgery once the chemotherapy is complete.
The chemotherapy will be 12-weeks long and started July 22nd. The treatment consists of four cycles that are three-weeks long. In the first week, Roberto receives chemotherapy drugs. The second and third weeks are for recovery to replenish his blood cell count and to rest the body from enduring the side effects of the drugs.
We don't have much information about the surgery right now (August 28th). We speculate that Roberto *may* need to have the ribs broken off his sternum so that the surgeons can access the tumor. That $#*%@! scares me so I try not to think about it too much. There is also the possibility of laparoscopic surgery (using a tube inserted into the chest). Until we know what is left over after chemotherapy, we won't know what surgery Roberto will undergo.
4. What can I do to help?
What ever you can! Right now, morale support is clutch for Roberto. Receiving and reading cards are fun and uplifting surprises during the week as are gifts. Short messages via the internet are also good too, but don't expect immediate responses. If you're reading this, just take a minute to send a "Robostrong!" to Roberto.
5. What the **** is Robostrong?
Hey, it's a cool word coined by Eric, a friend of Roberto's. It's like Livestrong but the Live is replaced with Robo (Roberto's nickname). Yeeeeaaahhh, now you get it!
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