Re: FCR- its time for some balance and truth

[Guest guest]

FCR undoubtedly has problems, which is why I was unwilling to recommend it unreservedly until CLL8 was published. But this trial has shown that it is the only treatment to improve overall survival compared to other treatments. So, unless there are reasons to believe that the patient will not be able to withstand the treatment, it remains the number one choice for CLL.

Terry Hamblin MD

In a message dated 29/08/2010 18:38:37 GMT Daylight Time, cllcanada@... writes:

Since the 2008 CLL8 and REACH trials we have heard many good things about FCR. It certainly seem to work very well for some patients. Glowing reports flow from MDACC, after all, FCR is their 'baby". Compete response rates of 72% are impressive...But clearly, FCR has a darker side, like the possibility of a growing 17p deleted B-cell clone population and T4+ cell counts like an AIDs patient.Become FCR refractory and treatment choices are highly diminished and the prognosis is poor.Clearly every treatment has benefit and risk, but we must be able to give 'informed' consent.My feeling is on the clinical level we get all the good news and never hear about the bad.It is up to us then to get and be informed...~chrisCLL CANADADr. Hamblin on CLL8:http://mutated-unmuated.blogspot.com/2008/12/ash-1-german-cll8-trial.htmlCLL8: 2008 ASH Abstract: http://ash.confex.com/ash/2008/webprogram/Paper9237.htmlREACH: 2008 ASH Abstract: http://ash.confex.com/ash/2008/webprogram/Paper15742.htmlTreatment overview discusses FCR trials in general:http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1756-8722-2-29.pdf