I Haz Cancer

Hey all

For the past few years I've had this small solid growth starting to pop out of my upper left chest. I did not think anything of it at first since it was small and so I tried to ignore it. I felt like it was growing a bit so I decided to go to my primary physican (Dr. Bena Teo, Woodbury Hoag Irvine) to get it checked out. She was concerned and scanned me with ultrasound to investigate further. She didn't find anything but recommended that I get a chest MRI (with and without contrast) to see if it was an issue.

I was bad and ignored it for almost 10 months until I finally got around to scheduling an MRI.
The comparative scan between the MRI and my ultrasound showed that the tumor did grow so my doctor referred me to a Newport Beach surgeon by the name of Dr. Colleen Coleman. She referred me to her mentors at the UCLA oncology center (Surgeon - Dr. Fredrick and Fritz Eilber, UCLA).


The doctors examined me and quickly scheduled a surgery the following week. The following Friday my primary tumor (left upper chest wall) was removed (Surgeon - Dr. Fredrick and Fritz Eilber, UCLA). I was also advised to complete a round of radiation therapy around where the Tumor was (Radiation Oncologist - Dr. Peter Chen, Hoag Newport Beach). I was hoping that would be the end of it but that would be too easy. After examining the tumor at the weekly cancer conference the doctors diagnosed me with Aveolar Soft Part Sarcoma (ASPS) .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveolar_soft_part_sarcoma

After my most recent CT scan, the doctor's told me that they found small tumors in different parts of both of my lungs. They suspected this earlier in the year but they have confirmed that it has indeed spread. These particular types of tumors are slow growing but the doctor's recommended I take action within 6 months of the diagnosis (the spreading is also slow and could have happened last year)

My UCLA oncologist, Dr. Noah Federman, recommended that I contact Dr. Axel Rolle, a German surgeon who specializes in laser assisted lung resection (basically opening up my chest and pew pewing the tiny little tumors until they are all gone)

My hospital arrival date is July 16th, 2012 ...(this is just for 1 lung, I have to go back to do the other in a few months...yea fun fun!) I will be there for 3 weeks recovering.


If you are morbidly curious about my procedure, check out the step by step journal that another ASPS patient documented.

Thoracotomy - a day by day description
http://cureasps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=333#p1319

Wish me luck!