On 12/30/2007
photog wrote:
New Treatment for Myeloma
Most myeloma transplant protocols call for a single round of high-dose chemotherapy, which kills both cancerous and healthy bone marrow cells. Then patients are rescued by their own healthy stem cells, collected prior to chemotherapy — an autologous stem-cell transplant.
Tricot's strategy prescribes four rounds of chemotherapy, two of which are high dose and coupled with autologous stem-cell transplant immediately after the chemo drugs leave the body.
Even so, some myeloma cells linger. To delay relapse, Tricot prescribes two years of maintenance therapy to fight any latent myeloma cells.
Regards,
Craig Persel
Good Evening Craig;
I believe what I'm scheduled for is what you're describing. I'm to be evaluated on 1/24/08. Presuming I pass, I will be given high dose cyclophosphamide, have ASCT early Feb. were they take enough stems cells for 2 doses.(More on this later) These will then be frozen. I will receive high dose melphalan (which destroys both good and bad cells) and approx. 1 week later will receive back 1 dose of the frozen good stem cells. My Dr. claims this treatment results in a 25% chance of complete remission. But there's also the 2-3% chance of mortality due to complications.
Additionally, I have volunteered for a trial program of activated auto T-cell reinfusion that is given in conjunction with anti-cancer peptide vaccines. (Laymens terms: I'm supposed to recovery from the melphalan quicker.)
What I have been tossing around in my mind is to have more than 2 doses taken from me and frozen. My belief is that if 5 doses are taken and frozen and I relapse I have 4 additional good harvests left not just 1. In addition, should I not need the remaining 4, I could "will" those remaining doses to another patient closely matching my HLA. Sounds like a win-win situation to this bumpkin. Just have to convince the Pro's. If any medical professionals reading this would like to comment, please do!
Regarding the lingering MM, that's why it's so important to get the spike below 1.0 Preferably .6 or better. You are only going to get one chance at that initial harvest. Anything after that will have MM in with it and I believe that they build up a resistance to the treatment.
I'm curious to read what you find out about their maintenance therapy. You sound like you're doing quite well with your diet, herbs and spices. Please keep us informed!
Take care;
Kevin