Wednesday, September 06, 2006
A new fork in the road
We truly don't know where the journey called life will take us on this earthly plane. Yesterday, I was in Charleston meeting with the physician running the clinical trial in which I have been participating. We reviewed my data and came to the conclusion that the study drugs have not had a positive impact on my cancer, so back to the drawing board.
This time I have 3 options: there are 2 new clinical trials that look promising for my stage of OC, or I can return to conventional chemotherapy. I am choosing to pursue a new Phase II clinical trial at Wake Forest University, In Winston-Salem, NC, which I plan to then follow with conventional chemotherapy. This one involves the drug catumaxomab being given through a catheter or port directly into the abdominal cavity. This is done using 4 doses over a period of 10-12 days, and then the therapy is complete.
Catumaxomab is a trifunctional antibody, meaning it has 3 targets in the body. It attaches to the cancer cells and destroys them. It also attaches to some immune system cells called T-cells, which then "call" more immune system cells, such as natural killer cells, to the site where the tumor is, and the drug attaches to those as well, thus strengthening the immune response to the cancer cells.
The net result is that no more fluid will accumulate in the abdomen, and there may be a long-lasting remission, depending on how many of the cancer cells are killed, and how strong an immune response I have.
How long will these results last? No one can say for sure. In the earlier studies, it was many months, up to two years. Since I intend to follow up with additional chemotherapy, I may be able to keep things under control indefinitely (that is always the goal, at least). I am optimistic about this trial, and like my bud Julie says, if nothing else, I am giving myself to science!
They are theoretically not ready to take patients for another two weeks, but I am pushing the envelope - I have an appointment on Tuesday with the study MD and I intend to do my best to get that treatment no later than the following week.
Link
This time I have 3 options: there are 2 new clinical trials that look promising for my stage of OC, or I can return to conventional chemotherapy. I am choosing to pursue a new Phase II clinical trial at Wake Forest University, In Winston-Salem, NC, which I plan to then follow with conventional chemotherapy. This one involves the drug catumaxomab being given through a catheter or port directly into the abdominal cavity. This is done using 4 doses over a period of 10-12 days, and then the therapy is complete.
Catumaxomab is a trifunctional antibody, meaning it has 3 targets in the body. It attaches to the cancer cells and destroys them. It also attaches to some immune system cells called T-cells, which then "call" more immune system cells, such as natural killer cells, to the site where the tumor is, and the drug attaches to those as well, thus strengthening the immune response to the cancer cells.
The net result is that no more fluid will accumulate in the abdomen, and there may be a long-lasting remission, depending on how many of the cancer cells are killed, and how strong an immune response I have.
How long will these results last? No one can say for sure. In the earlier studies, it was many months, up to two years. Since I intend to follow up with additional chemotherapy, I may be able to keep things under control indefinitely (that is always the goal, at least). I am optimistic about this trial, and like my bud Julie says, if nothing else, I am giving myself to science!
They are theoretically not ready to take patients for another two weeks, but I am pushing the envelope - I have an appointment on Tuesday with the study MD and I intend to do my best to get that treatment no later than the following week.
Link
