<<Richard Dean Bagnell pointed out on the Yahoo MOGN thread that in one month the reported tumor shrinkage of the phase I pancreatic patient went from >50% to >70%. This was between the fifth and sixth months of treatment. His point was that perhaps the drug works better as the tumor gets smaller. It is interesting that the tumor shrunk 40% in that one month span.>>
David,
It is my understanding (perhaps mistaken) that an "objective partial response" (that which was claimed for one MGI-114 PI patient in the 15 October 1998 press release) indicates tumor shrinkage by 50% or greater. The newer figure of >70% may be, in fact, merely a further clarification of the extent of the objective partial response observed earlier. (In essence, >70 is also >50.)
I am not implying that I know this to be the case, by any means. It is by no means inconceivable that this pancreatic cancer patient did, indeed, experience a tumor regression of 40% over one month. However, this is not necessarily the case, according to the way that I read the two press releases in question.
I would be absolutely ecstatic, by the way, if anyone were to demonstrate that I am completely wrong about this, and that this tumor did, indeed, shrink 40% in month 5 of treatment.
Best regards,
RB |
