Life Update / Scan Results: 30 Months

Over the past few weeks, Caroline has recieved numerous post-treatement tests/scans/appointments, which concluded yesterday.  As always, we prayed hard for No Evidence of Disease (NED)...and we are beyond thrilled to be able to share that Caroline continues to be cancer-free since April 2019, 2.5 years after completing her standard treatment protocol for Stage IV, High-Risk Neuroblastoma and six months after completing her DFMO Clinical Trial!

Test Results: 
VMA/HVA urine test - NED
CT Scan - NED
X-Ray - No abnormalities
Labs/Blood Markers - All in good range, but she needs an iron supplement
MRI for Spinal Compression Fractures - No change
MIBG Scan - NED

We want to thank her amazing team of caretakers at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, the Beat Childhood Cancer Foundation for her DFMO clinical trial, and the army of prayer warriors around the world who have supported us for (almost) 4 years.

Caroline is currently thriving in 2nd grade, playing soccer, hanging out with friends, and excels in her main sibiling duty of annoying her brother.  We are so grateful she has been able to enjoy being a “normal” kid in 2021.

September was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Caroline was able to support and create awareness through a variety of events:

~Formulated a "carolinestrong" candle scent in collaboration with In Love There’s Light as a Fundraiser for Beat Childhood Cancer 

~Ambassador for the Children's Miracle Network during the "Ride of a Life Time" at Lifetime Fitness (shoutout to Ms. Hilary and her spin class!)
~Actor in a Love Your Melon and BeatCC awareness campaign video (click here to watch if you have Facebook)

Pediatric cancer is severly underfunded, recieving only 4% of all government funding for cancer-related research, so we are always honored to be asked and happy to participate in doing our part to shine a spotlight on this dreadful disease in hopes of advancing research.

All the best,
The Lantz Family

2-Year Scan Results / End of Clinical Trial

Results are officially in for Caroline’s 2-year scans and tests. ALL of the results are positive: NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE (NED)!

CT Scan - NED
MIBG Scan - NED
Neuroblastoma Urine Markers - NED
Bone Marrow Biopsy - NED
Hearing Test - Stable
Bloodwork - Stable

Thank you to Dr. Bri and the entire Vandy Medical team for helping us get to this place! Caroline will continue to get various quarterly check-ups and tests at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for the next couple of years.

Caroline’s clinical trial drug (DFMO) officially ended Sunday night. For 2 straight years, she took 6 pills per day...hard to imagine that she swallowed 4,380 pills...especially considering this was in addition to the 18 months of her standard treatment protocol for Neuroblastoma. 

She is now officially both cancer-free and medication-free!!! It’s surreal to think Caroline has hit every mark we’d hoped for since she was diagnosed in 2017.

For this particular milestone (the clinical trial ending), we’d especially like to thank the amazing leaders at Beat Childhood Cancer Foundation: Pat, Dr. Sholler, Kyle, Savie, AJ, and the entire team. Their tireless research and clinical trials, like DFMO, are literally saving lives. Click here to support their efforts, which are mostly funded by donations.

We’re beyond grateful to the community that has surrounded us over the past 3.5 years; we truly would not have been able to manage without you. Thank you, thank you!

The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

Celebrating the end of DFMO: 4,380 pills with an "Orange You Glad This Is Over" theme, since Caroline wasn't allowed to have citrus while on the clinical trial.

Audiology Testing

Nuclear MIBG Injection

CT Scan

Walking herself back (per usual!) to be sedated for the MIBG Scan

Waiting for scans on diagnosis day and last day of Clinical Trial...she's come a long way!

Update: Last DFMO Refill

Caroline went to Vanderbilt today for the FINAL refill supply of her clinical trial drug, DFMO.  The trial will end for her on April 17, 2021, at which time she will be completely medication-free!  After two years of taking six DFMO pills each day, this is both exciting and terrifying for us.

In addition to getting the refill meds today, she received blood and urine tests; we are still waiting on those results and should have them sometime next week.  Her next round of scans and tests are scheduled for mid-April, right before completing the clinical trial, so we will update the blog again at that time.

Right now, Caroline is excelling in first grade, taking acting classes, and just wrapped up her first-ever basketball season.  

Thank you for the continued prayers and support!

Team Lantz

#carolinestrong

#ftgf

Last refill of DFMO!