Dad had a regularly scheduled MRI this past Monday and then his round of doctor appointments and treatment on Wednesday. We met with the neurologist who told us that there was no change on the MRI and that there were no signs of growth. He cleared Dad to start physical therapy again and is keeping his medication the same, however when we meet with the seizure team, they might make some changes, but was pleased overall with how things were looking.
We then met with Dad's oncologist who saw something very different on the MRI. The original tumor and the second site with possible radiation necrosis showed no change however he did see a new third spot that is concerning. They cannot for sure confirm that it is a new tumor, but it shows some blood flow to the area which could mean there is some disease progression. It is out of the radiation field so they do not think it's radiation related. This new spot is in the area of the brain that controls vision, which explains why Dad has been having trouble seeing. His peripheral vision is significantly decreased and has difficulty seeing things, like his phone screen. He's also said that sometimes he doesn't see things, like a cup sitting on the table. They are going to do a repeat scan in 4 weeks and continue treatment as planned, with an increase dosage in steroids. If the scan shows improvement, they will lean towards this new spot being radiation necrosis although it seems very unlikely. If it is a tumor, it is likely that it will continue to grow.
Obviously this was not the ideal news that we wanted to hear, but Dad has proven that he is a fighter and we will hope and pray for the best. <3
