Tuesday 5/30 - consultation with Dr. F (Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto)

A bit of new information, mostly positive:
  • Dr. F agrees that ewing and lymphoma are possibilities and also mentions osteosarcoma; however, he also emphasizes to take a step back and remember that there's still a LARGE range of possibilities, including that it's benign and could even go away on its own!
  • He also explains that even if it is malignant, there's a somewhat higher likelihood that it's primary (i.e., the bone tumor is the original source of the cancer) than secondary (i.e., spread to the hip socket but originating elsewhere). This is more likely with bone cancers in general and also because of my age.
  • Unfortunately, he said the MRI I had done earlier was actually pretty low quality (usually he can tell more with that alone) but he did say it seemed on the small side-- about the size of a golf ball. Francis asked whether its small size might be especially promising because it's been so long (~7 months) since the onset of pain and Dr. F said, though tentative, that indeed this could suggest that it's less aggressive.
  • He also thought, like Dr. M, that other symptoms, e.g., some recent experiences of heartburn, were unlikely to be related. He made this convergent assessment independently.
  • So yes, almost all updates sounded quite positive, though again, we should remember the images are not that diagnostic and it's still very uncertain either way.
Next steps:
  • First, I'll need a CT-scan which may give us a little bit more information but is mostly important in determining what kind of biopsy to do and to actually guide that operation. The CT-scan is not yet scheduled but we're on a high priority list and were told to expect an appointment within the week. We're "on call" for this appointment, waiting at Francis' parents' place in the interim!
  • Next we'll have the biopsy. Specifically, he says there's a 90% chance it will be CT-guided biopsy, which is much less invasive compared to an open biopsy-- just using local anesthetic and a big needle.
  • About a week after the biopsy we'll be able to schedule a meeting to get the results. At that point we should have a much better idea of the diagnosis (whether it's malignant; what's the source) and of the treatment plan.
Comments
  • Perhaps the most important news, though, for this initial meeting is just that Dr. F seems great. He was very attentive and took the time to communicate and relate to us (not like Dr. M). Thank goodness!
  • I'm also very grateful to all of you. Thanks so much to Francis' parents for letting us stay in their beautiful home and use their car - such a wonderful arrangement for us!! And thanks to all family and friends who are reading this for being so caring and supportive. I really appreciate it. 💗

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