Liver Biopsy

I just realized I haven't updated my blog in quite a while and thought that maybe I should.  A lot has happened since the last entry.  The scans came back showing progression in the liver and ovaries.

After a discussion with my local oncologist, we agreed that a liver biopsy was the next best course of action.  The liver has been unresponsive to all treatments this year, leading us to believe that the receptor status may have changed.  A liver biopsy will confirm receptor status and also check for some other subtypes that may qualify me for some new clinical trials.

The biopsy is scheduled for Thursday this week.  I spoke to them and it sounds rather straight forward and simple.  They will simple make a small incision, and do a core biopsy using a small cylindrical tube about the size of a pen.  The tissue obtained will be tested for ER, PR, HER2, Androgen, FGFR, and GPNMB.  There are several trials the local oncologist has that I may qualify for after the biopsy results are in.

I also plan to make a trip down to MD Anderson to get a second opinion on treatment options at this point.  This is sort of a critical point, because if I choose to do a treatment involving chemo, I'll be on my 3rd chemo.  Many trials will not take you if you have had more than 3 types of chemo.