My experience with 4xEP

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  • albano90
    Registered User
    • Jul 2018
    • 16

    My experience with 4xEP

    Hello guys,

    It's been a while since I posted and I just wanted to give an update about my case, so people with the same fight can have more information.

    History:

    I got diagnosed with TC on July and had left I/O. My first CT scan on late august showed 3 lymph nodes enlarged with the biggest one 5.1x3.9cm. On September 6th I started my chemotherapy at MD Anderson in Houston under Dr. TU supervision. I went under 4 rounds of EP and I finished it on Monday, November 12th. The only side effects that I felt until now are hair loss, since second week, and tinnitus after my second cycle. Past two months I skipped work because of treatment only for 3 days, usually they were the first day of cycle because I had to stay at hospital for like 12 hours. I never vomited or felt a hard hit of nausea. Usually at day 5 and 6 I felt tired, but I mostly had it because of long days at hospital (9 hours for 5 straight days). Sometimes I had headache but nothing unusual. The only things that I recall different on my body were two times that I had a shortness of breath, which occurred during work load, and it got normalized within minutes. I am a low voltage electrician, so I worked 10 hours shift and most of it standing or climbing ladders. I always had my bloodwork before every cycle and the results were always good, at least for a person who'd having chemo. My LDH at the start was 650 and after second cycle it went 220, but before my last cycle went up to 250, which my doctor and we all know it's not like a real marker. My next appointment is on 19th and 20th of December, when I will have my bloodwork and my PET scan. I'm hoping for the best so I can start my surveillance after it. I know the fight isn't over and I'm ready for anything I asked my doctor what is a good result and he told that if lymph nodes are less than 2cm it means that propably it's just scars or concrete. They had previous people who went under RPLND and almost always they got negative results of cancer.

    This is my journey so far. Hope I'm helping somebody to clear his mind and if you have any question just reply or send me a message.

    Thank you guys
    Dec 2017 - felt lump and never checked it out.
    07.17.18 - Diagnosed with TC
    07.20.18 - Left I/O
    08.04.18 - Pathology - Seminoma
    08.24.18 - CT Scan shows 3 enlarged lymph nodes (3.3x3.1cm & 3.3x3.2cm & 5.1x3.9cm) no other organs met
    09.04.18 - OFFICIAL STAGE 3A Seminoma
    09.06.18 - Started 4xEP @ MD Anderson
    11.12.18 - Finished 4xEP
    12.20.18 - Lymph nodes under 3cm - Starting surveillance
    06.16-19 - Next CT Scan/Blood work/X-Ray
  • Houd27
    Registered User
    • Oct 2018
    • 13

    #2
    Good job making it through 4x EP ! Sounds like you had it a bit easier than others with side effects which is amazing. Consider yourself lucky in that sense lol. Great write-up, hope your tests come out all clear! I get mine as well on the 19th, hopefully we will both have good news in time for the holidays. Cheers!

    Comment

    • Ryan Bi
      Registered User
      • Jul 2018
      • 126

      #3
      The best wishes for your two gentlemen! My son is following you two finishing chemo in one and half month.

      Amy , Ryan’s mum
      Son Ran, 24 years old, 25th May 2018 diagnosed NSGCT. 28th May 2018 right orchiectomy. Pathology:50% EC, 30% Teratoma,20% Yolk sac. CTs: 1 retroperitoneal lymph node 0.7mm Tumor markers: AFP 497, bhcg 19, LDH normal Normalized after R/O. Stage 1, surveillance 17th September 2018, Bhcg elevated up to 5.6 AFP and LDH normal, CT stable. 4th November bhcg up to 28, AFP and LDH normal. BEPx3 started and 2nd January 2019 BEP finished with Tumor markers normalized. 13th February 2019 CT scan showed 1 retroperitoneal lymph node enlarged up to 1.1 cm with normal tumor markers. RPLND : 03/14 2019@IU Dr.Cary Pathology report: one lymph node from 57 is Teretoma .Back to surveillance 05/02/19 Blood work all normal

      08/23/2019 Bloodwork, Abdomen CT and Chest X-ray all normal

      Comment

      • Mike
        Administrator
        • Apr 2008
        • 953

        #4
        Thanks for sharing your experience as it will sure to be helpful for the next guy and all the best on the upcoming check up.

        Mike
        Oct. 2005 felt lump but waited over 7 months.
        06.15.06 "You have Cancer"
        06.26.06 Left I/O
        06.29.06 Personal Cancer Diagnosis Date: Got my own pathology report from medical records.
        06.30.06 It's Official - Stage I Seminoma
        Surveillance...
        Founded the Testicular Cancer Society
        6.29.13 Summited Mt. Kilimanjaro for 7th Cancerversary

        For some reason I do not get notices of private messages on here so please feel free to email me directly at [email protected] if you would like to chat privately so as to avoid any delays.

        Comment

        • albano90
          Registered User
          • Jul 2018
          • 16

          #5
          Hello guys,

          Thank you for the kind words. Just to follow-up with my post, I'm still having my tinnitus and I'm also feeling some tingling on my feet, but this is not during all time, it happens in some cases, for example when driving or when I'm in bed.

          I also wanted to give more details from my follow-up appointment with my oncologist. I had my blood work and my abdomen/pelvis/chest CT Scan (since my insurance didn't approved a PET Scan). I never got a true stage because with what I read I should have been stage IIC seminoma, my doctor said 3A, but at my documents it was 3B (weird).

          Blood work: Before starting chemo I had my LDH at 650, now 5 weeks after chemo it is 210 (within the range of 220).

          CT Scan of my lymph nodes: I had 3 enlarged lymph nodes - a) 3.7 x 3.7cm which now is 1.1 x 1.5 cm - b) 2.5 x 2.8cm which now is 1.2 x 0.6cm - c) 5 x 6 cm which now is 2.4 x 0.8cm
          I was looking at the images of CT Scan and even the 2.4 x 0.8cm lymph node was just some small dots and it looked like they were trying to measure it. This was also the opinion of my oncologist, who said that they just trying to give an estimate of it. What my doctor told was that probably what is left are just scares or concrete, so I did good during my chemo. Even with guidelines everything under 3cm with seminomas goes under surveillance.

          Giving this details, I have some questions that I need some opinion from others:

          1) Is the follow-up schedule after 6 months good with seminomas?
          2) What are the chances that those nodes that are still more than 1cm could be still cancer?

          Thank you guys!
          Dec 2017 - felt lump and never checked it out.
          07.17.18 - Diagnosed with TC
          07.20.18 - Left I/O
          08.04.18 - Pathology - Seminoma
          08.24.18 - CT Scan shows 3 enlarged lymph nodes (3.3x3.1cm & 3.3x3.2cm & 5.1x3.9cm) no other organs met
          09.04.18 - OFFICIAL STAGE 3A Seminoma
          09.06.18 - Started 4xEP @ MD Anderson
          11.12.18 - Finished 4xEP
          12.20.18 - Lymph nodes under 3cm - Starting surveillance
          06.16-19 - Next CT Scan/Blood work/X-Ray

          Comment

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