Simpler is better

We spoke with Mrs. Random’s oncologist today. She’s “go” for chemo tomorrow—carboplatin and gemcitabine. Next week it’s gemcitabine only. Then she’ll be done with chemotherapy, yay! He wants to see her for a follow-up appointment in four weeks to get a final blood test and set up every-three-weeks Keytruda infusions (for a year, I believe). That’s the immunotherapy drug, as a preventative. Next, within four to six weeks after the last chemo infusion, is surgery: bilateral mastectomy. That will allow analysis of the tumor. Best case scenario: it’s already completely dead tissue. In any event, hitting it with chemotherapy drugs since last July will have made it much smaller than it was when discovered, making its complete removal from her body much easier. She’s opting for a double mastectomy simply to eliminate the chance of any more breast cancer (she had it before in 2010)—as well as maintaining symmetry; and she’s not going for any reconstrutive surgery or any prosthetic options. These are personal choices, and different women have reasons for different choices, but there is wide agreement that simpler is better!