There are a few final tests required before I can commence with the trial…these are what they call the base line tests. They will then be repeated (some quite frequently) over the course of the year long trial & afterwards, and all subsequent results & data compared to this first set.
I have had a body CT Scan & Blood tests – that box ticked – the rest are a little bit more invasive.
Do you remember my mentioning that Melanoma comprises of just 4% of skin cancer…well the drug has a strange side effect of actually encouraging the growth of other types of skin cancers. It’s a bit of an oxymoron – take a drug to fix one thing & get another….but the “others” are the lesser of 2 evils & because they will be routinely looking out for them they can be dealt with quickly & efficiently.
The drug, Vemurafenib causes extreme sensitivity to sunlight & UV – which means that I will need to be very, very careful in the sun. I will become more pre-disposed to Basal Cell Skin Carcinoma (about 75% of skin cancers are BCC) which are growths on the surface of the skin. In general these are not dangerous – they rarely spread, but they can be disfiguring….especially if they appear on your face.
The drug also causes another skin cancer called a Squamous Cell Skin Cancer (20% of skin cancers are this type). These can spread rapidly and because of the drug they are often found as growths on the inside of your body…inside your nose, throat, the lining of your stomach, colon & cervix.
Scary as they sound I have to be honest & say that these side effects don’t frighten me….I trust the team at Oxford. If you believe that the team looking after you are doing just that – LOOKING – then you, as the patient don’t need to spent every waking & sleeping minute studying your skin & analysing your body like it is about to throw you a curve ball again.
So … the tests…. a Nasal Endoscopy (camera up my nose & down my throat)…. a Smear test & cervical examination & …GULP….a Colonoscopy (camera up my bottom).
On Friday whilst I was at work a lady called Caroline called me up to arrange these various appointments – all for next Friday. We discussed the “preparation pack” that she would be sending me in advance of the Colonoscopy. I suggested that I would just not eat for 3 days – but apparently that won’t work. She then asked if I had remembered “that stool sample” I would be needing to take with me….which promptly resulted in a 15 minute conversation (all of which my boss overhead!) discussing how long poop could stay in a bottle given the 24 hours of prep the day before…..I have just lost my last inhibition.
I have also got 1 more test on Friday ….a Brain scan.
This lead to a delightful conversation with The Mr over the potentially quick scan and also whether they needed to bother with a separate MRI seeing as the Colonoscopy should clearly identify my brain quicker than a MRI Scan of my head.
The Mr now lives in the shed.