Nov 2020 1st CTC Results: 10 ml of blood 3.3 CTC/ml incl 1 cluster. Specimen contained single CTC (n= 16), and one cluster of CTC-like cells with 17 nuclei (n=17), total CTC (n=33), suggesting some residual disease activity. The background shows mild to moderate numbers of immune cells and occasional fungal elements. The CTC count is consistent with a mild to moderate increased risk of tumour progression or relapse.
I am thinking this is not too bad. Still room for improvement (especially re. fungal elements) but really great news worth celebrating. I will continue to pause the Zoladex for now and keep up with immune system and anti-inflammatory focus while pulsing the pathways inhibitors.
March 2022 note: I did end up stopping the Zolodex all together – did not go back to it and have continued with Melatonin which is now 60mg a night and every now and then I will pause it for 5 days and then re-start. My tumor markers remain the lowest of all time and all labs are looking really good. White blood cells were terribly low for years but have come back up to the normal range in past few months. I am living a very active pain-free life, practicing Qi Gong and working as a mental health outreach support worker. Having bone scans once a year and next one due in early May 2022.
Bone healing:
Many women who read this blog have a similar diagnosis to me and write to ask me about what I take each day in regards to my bones mets . Here’s my bone healing list of supplements and studies. None are strictly ‘bone only’ and all have multiple anti-cancer targets.
In early 2023 for ease when updating I have moved my bone met healing research notes to the new parent site: My Healing Community.