Kathy Marcus

Welcome to our CaringBridge website.  We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place.  We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement.  Thank you for visiting.

Hello Everybody!  Gary and I are on a journey.   A journey that started with me coughing up a little bit of blood that warranted a trip to the ER.   An X-ray was done that showed a golf ball sized mass in my upper right lung.  A biopsy was performed confirming cancer.  More tests were ordered to figure out the scope of the cancer revealing that it had spread to the left side of my brain and to my right iliac bone (both sites were very small).  The diagnosis is stage IV Lung Cancer.   Most of the testing has been done in California, but we have started treatment in Tucson AZ where we will eventually be retiring.   We are in good hands at The University of Arizona Cancer Center and our main doctor is the Director of the Clinical Lung Cancer Program.   At this point  (July 30th 2018), I have had only one treatment consisting of targeted radiation to the tumor in the brain.  The doctors are very confident that that should do the trick, of course there will be follow-up appointments to confirm.   Thursday, Aug 2, the first cycle of chemo/ immunotherapy is scheduled and to be repeated every three weeks for 4-6 cycles (?).  However, there is a 20% chance I may have a molecular biomarker that would allow for a targeted therapy that has been associated with a higher response rate, longer duration of benefit and far fewer side effects.  The genomic test result for that are expected approximately Aug 6 and would put a stop to the chemo.  For now our spirits are high, with lots of love and family surrounding us,  I am relying on Gods strength and in my belief that He is in control.   We will do our part and He will do the rest; such peace in that.  Our hope here is that we do a good job in updating you.