Perfusion Image
In support of
Tim Cantey
View Support Registry
Tim Cantey
As sophisticated and as advanced as an MRI is... it is only an image. Our very smart doctors look at the image and can measure, in Tim's case, the increase in size of a brain tumor. They look at other factors too (like if the edges appear to be smooth or have nodules) to try to determine what is going on with the tumor.
Last week Tim had his bi-monthly MRI which showed an increase of 2-3 mm. Our radiology oncologist, Dr. Whitley, ordered another form of MRI called a Perfusion Image that measures blood flow in Tim's brain. Cancer cells cannot live without blood. They are even known to develop their own blood vessels to take blood to the cancer to feed it so it can grow.
Yesterday Tim had the MRI/Perfusion scan and we got to see it today. Drumroll please... there appears to be no blood flow in the tumor! No blood flow leads the doctors to believe that there is no tumor progression. So for now, they are calling the additional 2-3 mm seen on last weeks MRI "radiation injury" due to absence of blood flow. If you, like me, didn't go to med school and are super confused, this is great news! Praise God! Look at the picture of the scan and the circled area. This is the tumor and there is no color (no blood). Tim continues with his monthly chemo (he calls this the bad news) and then we go back in two months for another MRI.
Does this mean that Tim is cancer free? Unfortunately, no. Gliobastoma brain cancer is not curable. But there is one doctor that can cure it. He goes by The Great Physician. So would you please petition the Lord with us to keep the cancer from progression or removing all of it from Tim's brain... preferably the latter.
Last week Tim had his bi-monthly MRI which showed an increase of 2-3 mm. Our radiology oncologist, Dr. Whitley, ordered another form of MRI called a Perfusion Image that measures blood flow in Tim's brain. Cancer cells cannot live without blood. They are even known to develop their own blood vessels to take blood to the cancer to feed it so it can grow.
Yesterday Tim had the MRI/Perfusion scan and we got to see it today. Drumroll please... there appears to be no blood flow in the tumor! No blood flow leads the doctors to believe that there is no tumor progression. So for now, they are calling the additional 2-3 mm seen on last weeks MRI "radiation injury" due to absence of blood flow. If you, like me, didn't go to med school and are super confused, this is great news! Praise God! Look at the picture of the scan and the circled area. This is the tumor and there is no color (no blood). Tim continues with his monthly chemo (he calls this the bad news) and then we go back in two months for another MRI.
Does this mean that Tim is cancer free? Unfortunately, no. Gliobastoma brain cancer is not curable. But there is one doctor that can cure it. He goes by The Great Physician. So would you please petition the Lord with us to keep the cancer from progression or removing all of it from Tim's brain... preferably the latter.
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