Apparently I am such a good test subject, they want to start me on a different trial. I am not sure I have a lot of answers at this point (and they don't either), but nevertheless I started the new trial today. The only thing I am sure of is that it will be a single agent trial (one drug). The drug will be the test drug from the last trial I was on (ABT-263 or by its new name Navitoclax. So instead of taking 3 drugs I will take one, instead of taking it 3 times a month I will take it every day, instead of taking 110mg, I will take 250 (after the initial week at 100). There is no stated end to this trial. I guess it could go on forever, but that is one of the things they are testing. End of short report.
If you read my last blog, I overcame a scare of dramatically dropping hemoglobin. No one is sure why that happened, but it all came back to normal in a couple of days. The outcome of it all was that we stopped the three drug trial that I was on, and will try another approach. It will require a lot of contact with UCSD in the beginning (weekly trips), and a lot of blood tests (5 per week locally). At any time during the trial my platelets drop below a certain number they will stop the trial. The drop in platelets is the most common side effect of this drug. There is still an issue with liver enzymes rising, but I have yet to get a 'formal' answer on that yet. This was an issue on the last trial because they didn't allow me a glass of wine or a beer. We will see how this one develops.
An interesting note is that I am apparently the only one in the U.S. that has come from the 3 drug trial and has gone to a single agent trial. I guess that is good and bad. The good is that they are going to watch me very closely, the bad is that they 'have' to watch me closely. They really don't know how someone will respond to this drug after they have been treated with the 3 drug combo. So once again I am on the bleeding edge (no pun intended) of the search for a drug that will be effective. They really don't know how long I will be on this trial. I know a woman who has been on this drug as a single agent for a year (Yea, Lori), and she is responding well. One good thing that this drug is not a typical 'chemo' drug, so the overall side effects are less. If you really want to read about this drug, go to the side bar on the ABT-263 topic and you can get all the info you want.
During the last trial I did have some side effects, mostly GI issues. I guess I will see if it was caused by one of the other drugs or by ABT.
Terry
1 comment:
My entire being feels for your predicament and journey. Sending you strength, hope and love.
Lisa Guest
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