I wish I had a short and simple answer. Alas I do not. Allow me to explain…
First of all, I have something called Lynch Syndrome… a hereditary cancer syndrome that predisposes one to a long list of genitourinary and gastrointestinal system cancers.
In fact, I was diagnosed with one of these Lynch cancers (colon cancer) in 2012. Detected early… hemicolectomy performed… stage one… no spread to lymph nodes… no chemotherapy or radiation treatment required. Such great news at the time, thinking that this would be the victorious end of my cancer story.
No such luck… as it wasn’t until months later (as a result of a “routine” dermatology exam) that I discovered that I had the Lynch Syndrome gene… in particular a variant of Lynch Syndrome called Muir-Torre Syndrome which further predisposes me to a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer that most people have never heard of: Sebaceous Carcinoma. In layman’s terms, oil gland cancer.
Over the years since, I’ve endured hundreds of skin biopsies, dozens of sebaceous adenomas, and a dozen or so sebaceous carcinomas… all of which have been excised successfully with no recurrences. And, while all this is happening, I had a Squamous Cell Carcinoma excised from my nose and a pre-cancerous Melanoma excised from my back.
But it gets even better: In the process of doing surveillance for my Lynch Syndrome, it was discovered (January 2018) that I also have Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.
And if that wasn’t enough: While being treated for Leukemia and while doing the surveillance for the Lynch Syndrome it was discovered (September 2020) that I have Advanced Prostate Cancer.
And if that wasn’t enough: In the course of doing the surveillance for the Lynch Syndrome and treatment and staging for the Leukemia and the prostate cancer it was discovered that I have a lesion in my Liver that is likely metastatic colon cancer (despite there being no evidence of having a primary colon cancer except for the colon cancer which was declared cured a decade earlier.
Yet here I am… being treated quite successfully… and rising every day with the conviction that life is still worth living and fighting for.
Continue… My “Easy” Cancer
Hang in there, Frank. My gift is Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS). If I pass the CT this year, that will be 5 years clean. As for skin, no melanoma, but over 25 carcinoma excisions and 3 times that in biopsies. Derm docs say, “you’re just one of those people.” 🙂
Thanks for sharing all that, Mister Bill. Fingers crossed that you get to CF5 with the UPS. Sorry to hear that you are also a frequent flyer at the dermatology clinic. Hang in there, brother.
Will do. You take great care, Frank.
Yikes Frank. That is quite the struggle. Hows the prognosis at this point?
Thanks for asking, Jim. Just buying time, taking everything a day at a time. BTW, now you know why I’ve been AWOL for the past several years. Glad you are here, brother.
If you ever need to chat I’m game for that! Do you have some support network and family around?
Thanks a bunch, Jim. I am kind of a walking miracle. The treatments are so effective that I am almost fully functional with no “oh shit” side effects. I am able to take care of myself and have some fun to boot. In fact if you saw me, you’d guess I was doing infinitely better than the average healthy 62 year old! Cheers!