UPDATE:

Justin’s miracle was already working on his behalf four days following his diagnosis when he received the opportunity to brainstorm treatment options with Dr. Jeffrey Crawford, Chief of Medical Oncology at Duke... Dr. Crawford is considered one of the best lung cancer Oncologist in the country! Dr. Crawford and Justin are a team, exploring every avenue for Justin to achieve his victory. After two treatment attempts failed to stop the rapid tumor growth (four cycles of the chemotherapy combination, Alimta/Cisplatin, and two months of the targeted treatment, Tarceva), Justin was introduced to the potent chemotherapy and targeted treatment combination of Taxol/Carboplatin/Avastin. The tri-combination is intravenous-fed and administered every three weeks along with zoledronic acid (Zometa) which aids in strengthening Justin’s bones from metastasis disease. Six weeks and two treatment sessions after starting the new regiment, Justin’s chest CT scan on May 12, 2009 showed phenomenal results. The primary lung mass has shrunk by 90%, all other lung nodules and tumors have vanished with the remaining ones showing only signs of necrosis (dead cells), plus the liver tumor shrunk 75%. Dr. Crawford described the extraordinary scan results as, “beyond unusual and simply miraculous”. In addition to chemotherapy, Justin has endured a total of 25 radiation treatments (10 on his neck and shoulder, and 15 on his spine)... these radiation sessions produced grueling side effects that affected Justin’s ability to eat solid food for a large number of days. Thankfully the radiation has succeeded in destroying the bone metastasis. On August 11th Justin's PET scan was clean, showing NED and he was declared in remission!  His future plan is of course to stay in remission... in order to do that he will continue to receive Avastin and Zometa every 3 weeks, focus on diet and exercise, and continue to keep his heart strong and his faith stronger. 

** Justin's first follow-up scan since going into remission was on November 3, 2009.  He is still in remission! Scans look great - liver still clean, bones all stable, and the primary mass which is just a big glob of dead cells and scar tissue has even shrunk another 25%.  JUSTIN IS DOING FANTASTIC!!!