All on rev/dex, we need your input quickly

 

On 5/13/2008 poppy/cath wrote:

Hi Jan!  i was just reading through some of these back messages and came across this one of yours talking about Rapamycin and CCI-779.  I am actively looking for anything that will assist the Revlimid to keep working for me and as you said that these were to be used in conjunction with relapse MM and Revlimid I'd just ask if you had any more information?  Revlimid is still working fantastically for me at the moment, but I'm just trying to cover my bases before anything goes wrong!    Many thanks in advance, Cheers, Cath

Hi Cath,

First, thanks for the private reply.  I was feeling bad and as usual, your words made me feel better.  I found information on Rapamycin on the International Myeloma Workshop web site.  That site calls it "the mTOR inhibitor RAD001 (everolimus) that inhibits myeloma tumor growth".  The article says it has direct effects on tumor cell proliferation.  Another site, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, has information  on Lenalidomide (Rev) and CCI-779 and says CCI-779 either kills the cancer cells or stops them from dividing and that CCI-779 may also stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for their growth.  I'm not sure, but when I put CCI-779 in Google, Rapamycin comes up.  Maybe RAD001 and CCI-779 are the same.  There is another med that I found in my papers called NPI-0052 that sounds interesting.  I also got a whole list of meds on the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation site.  On that site I put "emerging therapies" into their search box.  It brought up 12 pages of meds in various stages of trials and the companies that make them.  Very interesting!  I printed them off and began looking them up.  Google usually has the best results.   

I had to do some looking for the info you asked for.  I have taken a few weeks off from looking up meds as we are getting ready to head to Omaha on May 28th to see the oncologist and another hematologist.  If all is okay, my husband will begin prep for his stem cell harvest on May 31st.  If all goes well, they will harvest on June 8th or 9th.  We want to get the cells harvested for future use and also want to discuss other options, as he has had some bad reactions to meds, like you have had. 

Hope this helps you.  If I find any more meds, I'll pass them on.  Take care!

Jan

 

Thanks so much Jan!  I've printed out your response and will take it along tomorrow when I go to see my oncologist, just to quiz him about how much he has heard!  Good luck to you and your husband -- my thoughts and prayers will be with you for the weeks ahead and for the transplant!  I admire you for making this decision -- in a way I'm glad that I was told that I couldn't have a transplant -- knowing what one has to endure to have it done....but the results are so good that I guess that there really isn't a choice, is there??  Best wishes and let us know how its going.  Cheers, Cath

Hi Cath,

I just wanted to ask, what did your oncologist have to say about the information that I passed on to you?  Did he shed some light on any of the meds or had he even heard of them?  I always like to hear a second opinion when possible.  Thanks!

Jan