Saturday, February 11, 2012
Time flies when you're fighting cancer
Since the diagnosis on Wednesday, things have moved pretty quickly. There's an opening in a Phase II clinical trial for which I actually qualify! (Kinda feels like applying for a job). Since I did the vast majority of my research when the recent "quasi-tumor" image appeared, I know that there are several trials of the radical approach for which I do NOT qualify. ("I'm sorry, but we're looking for someone a little more....") Of course, as a scientist I do want to dot all the "i's" and cross all the "t's" (and annoy all the docs). But assuming my path continues in the direction of the UCSF clinical trial, I'll be starting the drug either Tuesday or Wednesday of the coming week, and diving into surgery 7 days later! The main concern about the surgery is that there's a chance that my vision will be slightly damaged, based on evidence acquired from the "awake surgery" I went through last September. Yes, there will be many more questions and discussions with the docs, but at this point they will likely influence the emotions more than the decisions....
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Hey Eric -
ReplyDeleteI know you will make the right decision and just so you know - I have impaired vision in my left eye from my brain hemorrhage.
All my best to you - then, now & always!
Your Friend in Solidarity,
Joe
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you remember me (I was a few grades behind you in high school), but somehow through the grapevine I heard about your medical troubles and found your blog. It seems you have found a trial already, but I asked my uncle (who is a head & neck oncologist at U-Mich) and he says they have the following trials for GBMs:
UMCC 3-23 Enrolling
Phase 1 Study of Concurrent Gemcitabine and Radiotherapy (RT) for Malignant High Grade Gliomas
Neelesh Aggarwal
936-9439 Pager:32346
UMCC 2007.021 Enrolling
A Phase II Clinical Trial Evaluating Dcvax-Brain, Autologous Dendritic Cells Pulsed With Tumor Lysate Antigen For The Treatment Of Glioblastoma Multiforme (Gbm)
Mary Orr
647-8174
I have no idea what the eligibility criteria are; the clinical trial manager phone numbers are listed.
Best of luck!
Kathryn W.
Thanks for looking into that! Actually some of those sound interesting. The 2nd one I might've done something similar already - a vaccine trial at Cedars-Sinai. But if this comes back again, I'm definitely gonna be up for suggestions!
Delete"will likely influence the emotions more than the decisions..." you really are a scientist if you can separate the two!
ReplyDelete