After the ASH (American Society of Hematologists) 2 weeks
ago, there is a lot of encouraging news of the drug front. Ibrutinib, which is the drug in the other arm
of my trial, has had a 96% progression free survival on patients 22 months
out. This is nothing short of
amazing. The drug is a pill, taken
daily, and has very few side effects, all of which can be managed. Here is a link to a talk by Dr. John Byrd from
OSU talking about the Ibrutinib trials. http://www.onclive.com/conference-coverage/ash-2012/Dr-Byrd-on-Ibrutinib-in-CLL
I am now on a monthly schedule and will get 4 more doses
before I complete the trial comparison in April. Even though my blood numbers are all in
normal range, they are at the high end, and have not dropped to the low levels
that I experienced in the other trial. I
did have a doctor exam on Tuesday and he said that everything looked good, but
that he would have a better idea after my 5 weeks off.
This is somewhat of a two edged sword. If I completely respond, then I won’t need
the Ibrutinib. If I do respond, then I
am not proving that drug A is better than drug B, which is the whole point of
the study. And if I don’t respond that
well, and/or if I relapse quickly, then I will need treatment again, and
hopefully they figure out a way to get me the drug A.
Other than a few “over 65” medical issues, I have been
feeling fine. Everything is on track for
a Family cruise in January, a trip to Seattle in February, a new grandbaby in
April and a wedding in July. All just
part of the normal Evans family life.Please keep my life long friend 'Tall Tom' in your prayers as he gets an experimental stem cell lung treatment at the end of December.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, believing that there is
a reason for the season, and a Healthy
and Happy New Year.
Terry
