Good news first, because there is some.
I'm off irinotecan.
If you've not had the pleasure, irinotecan is the IRI in FOLFIRI. It's also the bit my body is genetically rubbish at clearing — UGT1A1 *28/*28, for the nerds, which is also why I've got Gilbert's. It's the drug behind the first-week crash, the gut cramps, and the days where walking to the bathroom feels like a hill climb.
The October scan showed a partial response. So the plan was to drop it and move to maintenance: 5-FU and cetuximab, keep the cancer where it is, keep the cough away.
Cycle 7, on 12 November, was the first one without it. No cold cap either, and the erythromycin's gone. The steroids are down to a couple of days, which means fewer 3am staring-at-the-ceiling sessions and fewer steroid-fuelled online shopping decisions. (Katy's thrilled about that one.)
So far, so less shit.
Then the bloods came back
My CEA, the tumour marker I've been watching like a hawk, was 104. Two weeks ago it was 46.5. It had sat at 44 to 47 since September, which I'd made peace with. Now it's more than doubled.
That's annoying. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a bit concerning.
But here's the thing I keep telling myself. It's one number. The scan two weeks ago said the cancer was shrinking. CEA can wobble for all sorts of reasons. And nobody, including my oncologist, is changing anything based on one blood test.
So the plan is boring, and boring is good. Repeat bloods on 25 November. Phone review with a CT on 8 December. Then decide what it means, and whether I still get a proper break over Christmas.
What I do in the meantime
What I always do. I've put the new results into every AI tool I use, so they're all working from the same numbers. I've updated my One View so anyone who wants to look can see exactly where things stand. And when the next result comes in, I'll get all of them to look at it side by side before I talk to my oncologist.
What I'm not doing is spending two weeks googling “CEA doubled what does it mean” at midnight.
Well. Not much.
Fuck cancer. More on the 25th.
Not medical advice. Just me, sharing my numbers.