My platelets were 43,000 -- not up to 50,000 minimum necessary to qualify for today's lymphoma treatment. Implication for future treatments: I am now in the lowest category of treatment intensity. That means I will henceforth get only 10 mg every other week. This compares to original max 25 mg every week. My oncologist reassured me today that they do everything they can to keep patients in the study, instead of just dropping me next time my platelets are below 50,000 on a scheduled treatment day.
I did get the other chemical that is part of this combination treatment, Rituxan, which has been a good lymphoma killer for me in the past just by itself. My present study is based on the expectation that the two chemicals together will show greater anti-cancer power than either alone. My schedule calls for a Rituxan infusion the first Thursday of every odd numbered month. I'm doing OK, but disappointed.
Dennis L. Gibson, Ph.D.
