This update is hope — carefully held.
The most straightforward win is in Will’s leg. The skip lesions (smaller satellite tumors in the same bone) have been declared necrotic.
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What it means: The treatment has successfully cut off the blood supply or poisoned the DNA of these specific cancer cells.
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The Impact: This is a major green light for surgeons. Dead lesions do not “seed” new growth, making upcoming procedures significantly safer and more likely to result in clear margins.
2. The Lung Mystery: “Larger but Necrotic”
The confusion arises with the two nodules in Will’s lungs. To the naked eye, a tumor “growing” sounds like failure, but in the context of necrosis, size can be a deceptive metric.
How a “dead” tumor grows:
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Inflammation & Swelling: When chemotherapy or radiation kills a dense cluster of cancer cells, the body’s immune system rushes to the site to clear the debris. This causes localized inflammation and swelling, making the nodule appear larger on a scan.
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Internal “Caving”: Sometimes, a tumor undergoes central necrosis, where the core dies and turns into fluid or air, but the outer shell remains temporarily expanded. This is often called pseudoprogression.
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The Medical Verdict: Specialists believe these nodules are “larger” not because they are making new cancer cells, but because they are currently “shells” filled with dead tissue and inflammatory fluid.
3. The Current Battle: Pain Management
While the scans offer hope, Will’s immediate reality has been one of intense physical pain.
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The Cause: Doctors are investigating if the sudden leg pain is a result of the necrotic tissue putting pressure on nerves, or a side effect of the high-intensity radiation he recently finished.
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The Treatment: Will was admitted for urgent pain control to stabilize his system so he can begin the next phase of his journey: Physical Therapy.
4. The Friend Update: Brantley’s Progress
In a parallel breakthrough that has boosted Will’s spirits, his “hospital brother” Brantley has reached a massive milestone.
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Off the Ventilator: After a long, critical stretch in the ICU, Brantley is breathing on his own.
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The “Warrior Spirit”: The two boys reaching major milestones (Will’s necrosis and Brantley’s breathing) on the same week has been described by the family as a “double dose of New Year’s hope.”
🚨 THE NEXT STEP.
The medical team is now focused on “Mop-Up” Chemotherapy scheduled for mid-January. This is designed to ensure those necrotic lung nodules stay dead and to prevent any microscopic cells from resurfacing.
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