a powerful wepon, research and trials are paying off

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http://www.post-gazette.com/healthscience/20030128hgleevec1.asp

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A powerful weapon against cancer

Gleevec gives new hope to victims of chronic

myelogenous leukemia

Tuesday, January 28, 2003

By Anita Srikameswaran, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Just before Christmas, the local chapter of the

Leukemia and Lymphoma

Society sent out a letter cheering the days-old

approval of a drug for patients

with newly diagnosed chronic myelogenous leukemia,

or CML. <snip>

" Although not perfect, Gleevec " opens up a whole new thought process, "

Shadduck said. " Let's identify the abnormality in

this or that disease and try to

target a specific agent that will fit in and block

that enzyme. There's a great

deal of research going on to try to come up with

drugs for each specific

disease. "

snip: " Maybe the new vision of cancer is to get good enough drugs

that we end up living with the cancer, like we're living with

arthritis and high blood pressure and diabetes, " Wong said.<P>

----end copy---

This or that disease --- if one can live in the right day and age,

perhaps all different types of " living with cancer " will happen.

Bob had his 2nd treatment of his sec. cycle today, 2 wks ago he

missed the start of the 2nd cycle due to low WBC - then a week on

Newprigin (sp) and last tues his WBC was 18, then the chemo triplett,

then this week it is 3.7 - not really bad, as it has been way worse

(thinking those veggies, friuts etc. help alot)however, his hct was

at 31.5 down frm 35.5 of last week (plts were 223 up from 184 last

wk) but the doc has started giving a shot of Procret for the red

blood cells. Bob's engery has been super, no naps all week, doing

whatever because he wasn't low on engery- who would have figured this

is something they have started shots for, yet that WBC is something

that they will only give shots for, once it is so low you need to

miss an appt. first!! ( " to see if they come back up by themselves " )

His weight is staying steady at 150 and not much nausa at all. So he

is going well - other than is most important blood work.

So, we need " some good enough drugs!! "

Always the Best, Betty B.