Well, the doctor yesterday poured cold water on the idea of Rituxan. Since Rituxan is designed for exactly what I'm concerned about, it seems that doctors either don't understand its efficacy or it isn't efficacious for its intended purpose.
The share price jumped a lot today, so it seems that investors don't agree with the doctor who says it isn't worth using on a Stage 1A, 21 year old, diffuse, large B-cell, intermediate grade non-Hodgkins lymphoma, 20mm cervical tumor excised patient. The CD20 antigen hasn't been tested, but I suppose like nearly all such lymphomas, it will be present. The argument goes that until efficacy proven, there are too many risks, such as autoimmune problems in the use of Rituxan.
While I don't object to thoughts and prayers, I have greater confidence in pharmaceuticals. Thanks for your concern though. I have indeed received some encouragement. A bottle of the real oil would be good.
Since he has just finished CHOP therapy, I guess Rituxan should be used in the next week or so for maximum effect. But I don't know that.
On efficacy, it seems obvious that if chemotherapy has failed and patients have relapsed, which was the case in the patients evaluated in the Stage III trials, and there was some significant response to Rituxan, then Rituxan was enabling the killing of tumor cells which were not responding to chemotherapy.
So if given in early stages, those same resistant cells would get killed off, along with a whole lot of others. The 20% - 30% of stage IA patients who die would therefore be reduced somewhat to maybe 15% or even 10%. Maybe even fewer. Early is the time to treat with Rituxan. Not relapsed, late and hopeless.
Is there really a risk of autoimmune problems with Rituxan? Any other damaging problems?
Thanks for the suggestion Scott. Does anyone have some Rituxan for sale? Needed in a week or so to catch low neutrophil levels before they start racing up again.
Best wishes,
Maurice |
