Skip to main content

Rituxan: It's not chemo, but.....

Every now and then I actually post something pertinent to my disease, and while I'm not really posting anything here, I am directing you to another website, which I consider of invaluable importance for anyone suffering with leukemia or lymphoma.

Rituxan is one of those drugs that has definitely proven its worth over time. Used in combination with other chemo drugs [and often times alone], it has increased the period of progression free survival (PFS), and the overall survival (OS) for those suffering from leukemia or lymphoma.

But despite being a wonder drug, and not really considered chemotherapy per se, that doesn't mean it isn't without its side effects and complications. Nor does it mean it won't [still] be my drug of choice (initially as a single agent therapy), when the time comes to start treatment, even after reading this article.

So if you're one of those people with leukemia or lymphoma, this is definitely a must read, as you either have or will be taking this drug at some point, and the article is helpful in explaining how Rituxan works, and the long term implications of extended use.

And while you're at it, you might consider perusing the site for other useful information. There is a wealth of knowledge there, and Chaya Venkat, the author, is one of those people, who despite not being a doctor, has the innate ability to describe things in terms everyone can comprehend. She is also one of the most knowledgeable people I have come across, and whose motives I believe above reproach.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The results are in

And I am iron deficient, big time. [Which would account for my low hemoglobin] Test Result Ref Range IRON 30 59-158 mcg/dL TOTAL IRON BINDING CAPACITY 231 250-420 mcg/dL IRON SAT 13 20-50 % My Ferritin levels were good, but that could be because Ferritin is also an "acute phase reactant", that is sometimes increased with acute or chronic disease. Folate and B12 levels were also within the normal range. The only problem now is determining what is causing the iron deficiency, which in the case of men, is [very] rare. My oncologist has given me a Globin Fecal test to perform, and has scheduled me for a consultation with a colorectal surgeon to discuss performing a colonoscopy, which could be problematic because of my large spleen. In the mean time, I've decided to start taking an iron supplement, it's only the quantity that is causing me some consternation. I've been told by a very knowledgeable person that to overcome an iron deficiency, I need to be taking 300 mg o...

This is just one of those days

It's one of those days you just want to sit around the house and do absolutely nothing, or watch some movies you have recorded. It might even be a good day to read a book, if you were so inclined, which I am not. As you should be able to see from the view out my bedroom window, it is raining outside. The rain started last night, and hasn't let up since. I can't complain too much though, as this is the rainy season, and we do need the rain. Plus Monday's are typically my day off from exercise, so I will surprise everyone, and not complain. I just feel sorry for anyone who might be visiting from, say Argentina, like a friend of mine (fellow MCLer), who happens to be in Cambria today. He might be a little disappointed. Fortunately the rest of the week, when he will be in LA, will be nice, and the real intent of his trip was to visit his son in Tahoe, who works at one of the ski resorts, and ski, so I know he's not complaining too much either. This weather will actually...

When is enough, enough?

Today I learned, Lance Armstrong, the most drug tested athlete in the history of sport, is being accused of doping, again . This time by the US Anti Doping Agency (USADA), who claim they have collected blood samples from him in 2009 and 2010 that were “fully consistent with blood manipulation including EPO use and/or blood transfusions.” Really! What took them so long? The French have been trying to make allegations of drug doping stick for years, ever since he won his first Tour d'France, but to no avail. And now the USADA claims to have evidence to support that claim, and they've waited almost 3 years before releasing this evidence. Needless to say, I am skeptical. Then there's this from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO): Increasing the federal excise tax on cigarettes by 50 cents per pack eventually would increase Medicare and Social Security spending, slightly. Eventually? What is the CBO suggesting here? That we should encourage smoking, because if we don't, in...