Yesterday morning, on our to Indiana, we go news from our oncologist about St. Judes’s review of Jude’s tumor tissue from 2010 and 2012. The review confirmed that radiation is warranted. It turns out that the only factor that researchers have found that correlates with recurrence of supertentorial cortical ependymomas is invasion into the surrounding brain tissue. Jude’s 2010 tumor showed minor invasion. Jude’s 2012 tissue showed interface between the tumor and the brain’s white matter and nodules/projections of the tumor into the white matter. Apparently, while tumor cells aren’t supposed to be anywhere in the brain, they are especially not supposed to be in the white matter (I guess they would be behaving better if they are only in the gray matter). It’s still possible that the surgeon removed all the invading cells, but it’s good that we are set up to radiate with a 5-8 millimeter margin around the tumor bed to get any cells that may have been invading.
Jude is set to begin radiation this afternoon. He hasn’t been able to eat or drink since last night. I feel bad since the rest of us have been sneaking behind his back to get something to eat or drink and he can’t. Poor guy.