Dana Farber oncology appointment

We met with the oncologist Peter Enzinger at Dana Farber yesterday.  He had reviewed Leah's case and also was aware that we were planning on seeing Howard Safran today in Pawtucket.  He implied that he knows Safran very well and that he is more experienced than himself.  He said that we would be in good hands with Safran and that he saw no need for Leah to be seen in Boston. 

Leah hadn't posted about a .7 cm nodule they found on her lung during one of her CT scans as her surgeon lead us to believe that it wasn't a concern as this could be due to lung scarring from a previous infection (ie Valley Fever).  This oncologist was very concerned with the nodule.  After reviewing her case he is concerned that her cancer was lower than originally suspected and therefore could have spread to the lungs more easily.  The only way to tell if it is indeed cancer is to check it again in 3 months after chemo and see if it has changed in size at all, shrunk or grown.  This will show whether or not it is cancer and they will need to do further tests and this will change the treatment plan.  If the spot has not changed she would get another 3 months of chemo with radiation as well.  If the nodule has changed there will be no radiation and concentration for treatment will focus on the lung.  His recommendation for chemo was every other week.  It would be a 2 hour infusion and the day of treatment she takes home a pump that is connected to her port that stays on for 46 hrs He recommends treatment starts 3 to 6 weeks post surgery and we are guessing they will want to put the port in next week sometime. 

This oncologist didn't like the idea of having her receive the treatment in Newport as he said, "a picture tells a thousand words and I would want to see her if I were treating her."  He said that I will have to talk to Safran to see what he wants to do.  We kind of agree that she should see her oncologist regularly and will need to discuss the Newport option today with Safran.