Re: Re: Rituxan treatment -Arlene

[Guest guest]

Hi Arlene - much has been said, as you no doubt know, about F+C+R - You are

proposing substituting Pentostatin for Fludarabine. Pentostatin (in the same

family) is thought by many to be less toxic and less aggressive on the body. I

am not aware of anything written on the subject, but for those willing to try

FCR, certainly PCR would not be that different, perhaps a bit milder.

[Guest guest]

Hi , Thank you for answering my post about rituxan and Pentostatin.

Its encouraging to know people care about our treatment decisions and are

willing to help with them.

You know whatever help I can be with the new group I am happy to be.

sincerely arlene

[Guest guest]

Hello ,

I think you are right about there being no studies re. Pentostatin. I

have done search after search and come up with trials and protocols but nowhere

do I find hard evidence that it is milder and just as effective.

The first Clinical trial I had was with Fludarabine and Cytoxin. the 2nd

was with Pentostatin and Cytoxin and Dr. Weiss told me at the time and still

maintains that Pentostatin is a milder chemo. is right on with

everything he said, it is in the same family as fludarabine, and you are right,

there

is nothing to compare these trials with. Someone should do a head to head

study or at least colate the protocols to find similaraties in the patients

treated and the results. I do know that is not impressed with the numbers

and

from what I read a lot of patients have had to drop out. Kurt thinks Granny

Barb had it and she was no fool.

My experience with it was fine, no problem but I was 6 years younger

then. I also had no problems with Fludarabine but 12 years younger then.

Because Dr. Weiss wants me to take Rituxan, Cytoxin and Pentostatin I

have been looking for information. I have half a mind to do the alternative

thing with chinese medicine.

Thank you to and to Kurt for being kind to post their thinking and

i will let the group know if I find out anything and what i decide to do.

Bless you all, Arlene

[Guest guest]

,

Your comments about Pentostatin are on target. Pentostatin, like Fludara, is a

purine analog. Yet it's reputation for being less toxic or myelosuppressive than

F is not supported by any studies. I spoke to a CRC doctor in July who told me

he's been urging the makers of P to do a trial/study to prove it is less harsh

than F. As of July, they hadn't begun to do so. I don't know how P came by its

reputation but I do know that without studies to back it up, I, for one,

wouldn't accept it as fact.

Fred Hummel, 78, Arcata, CA;

CLL/SLL dx 1.98; Fludara 2000;

Rituxan, Fludara, Novantrone,

& Decadron, 2002;

Rituxan X 4, Aug-Sep 2004.

Hi Arlene - much has been said, as you no doubt know, about F+C+R - You are

proposing substituting Pentostatin for Fludarabine. Pentostatin (in the same

family) is thought by many to be less toxic and less aggressive on the body. I

am not aware of anything written on the subject, but for those willing to try

FCR, certainly PCR would not be that different, perhaps a bit milder.

[Guest guest]

Fred -you certainly have a point - I am also not aware of any concrete

evidence - but at least four oncologists have personally stated this to me -

[Guest guest]

Thanks, hope to have some news soon, will keep all posted -

[Guest guest]

,

Now that's interesting. Earlier this year when a substitute hem/onc suggested I

do PRC instead of FRC, I was given the same message about kindlier and gentler

P. Since Cytoxin concerned me as much as doing Fludara for a third time, I

quickly dismissed the recommendation.

When I go back to see my regular doc in December I'm going to ask just how does

he know P is less toxic than F given that no comparative studies have been

published. I'll report back then but anyone else who gets the P over F

recommendation could ask their own docs. Would be nice to know how the system

works in cases like this.

Fred

Fred -you certainly have a point - I am also not aware of any concrete

evidence - but at least four oncologists have personally stated this to me -