You Want the Good News, or the Bad News?

Well, you don’t have a choice, so here’s the Good News!

When we went to Houston last week for my 8th treatment of the new immunotherapy trial drug, my doctors offered us to move to a different clinical trial (still at MD Anderson).  This trial is among the latest effort of Targeted Therapies uniquely targeting genetic mutations.  

The treatment uses Small Molecular Inhibitors (SMI) to target a gene pathway that regulates the survival of cells.  Mesothelioma has a deregulating, or abnormal pathway.  This new medicine is a blocker, like a switch, that tells the cells to stop growing and even shrink.  

We are very excited to enter this new treatment.  If you refer back to the graph I posted in the previous two blogs, you’ll see this procedure is listed in the “Experimental Treatment” column of cutting edge efforts to control Mesothelioma.  And, here’s some of the reasons we are so optimistic:

• Unlike Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy, which are both transfusions, this trial is an oral drug.
• Overall, this will require 8 fewer trips to Houston per year.
• The listed side affects are less than transfusion treatments.
• We may be able to fly to Houston for one night, not two (or more).
• The pharmaceutical company sponsoring the trial offers some financial assistance for travelers.

This is a Phase I trial that has been running for nearly two years so there are lots of verified results even though it is a small trial.  My new doctor told us this trial is for many cancers but, “the one that seems to respond the best is Peritoneal Mesothelioma.”  That’s pretty exciting!  

Here are a few other quotes from Doctor Yap:

• Side affects are well tolerated while on this drug.
• Patients generally feel well while on this treatment.
• It is a promising agent with anti-cancer affects which means prolonged shrinkage of cancer.
• We are trying to treat Mesothelioma like Diabetes, treatable but not curable.

That last comment hit close to home.  I’ve had Type II diabetes since 2004.  I listen to my doctors and I take my medicine and I’ve never had a diabetes symptom.  I’ll take that for the next 20 years with Mesothelioma. 

The Bad News:

After all that good news this won’t sound so bad.  

Arriving in Houston for the 8th treatment involved the bi-monthly CT Scan to see how the immunotherapy drug was working.  I had been feeling so amazing for the previous few weeks that I was sure the doctor was going to say, “ Yahoo, this drug is working fantastic for you!”  

So, we were a little perplexed when they sent in young Doctor Nick, who we hadn’t met before.  He started the meeting by telling us the two measurable tumors have grown since the last scan. He continued by saying, “We need to switch gears and go to a different treatment.”  

Needless to say, the initial news was a little unnerving.  But, Doctor Nick had an amazing knack for turning things positive in a hurry.  I’m sure that’s why the sent him in first!  He and the main trial doctor had already consulted with another well known Mesothelioma doctor who recommended the new trial I’ve already described.  He told us that Phase I trials are on the leading edge of medical technology and research.

I told him I understood that this disease is treatable but not curable and all we’re looking for is long-term remission.  He said, “my goal is to give you decades, as long as you are up, healthy and active we’re gonna keep on truckin!”

Next Steps:

We have a trip scheduled to Houston for January 8-12th for baseline tests like scans, EKGs and blood tests. Then, final clearance on January 10th with the first treatment on January 11th.  After that I will take a pill everyday for two weeks, then none for two weeks (two on two off…like a slope worker!). We will return for a treatment and tests every Wednesday for 8 weeks.  I know it sounds like a lot but after that we only need to return once a month for the remainder of the treatment.  That will be such a welcome relief to our life.  

Cancer is a real wake up call.  Most of the time we like to make plans and are proud of ourselves when it works out.  I recently came across a paraphrase from The Message Bible, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9:

“We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken.”

We thought our plans were cruising right along and God reminds us we are not in control, He is.  We can be encouraged that this cancer has not taken God by surprise.  He is in control and knows what we need for the battle.  

Will you continue to pray for our family that God has us right where he wants us to be?  We are so encouraged by your support and love.

To close, I’d like to say we hope you had a wonderful Christmas Day and we wish you the best in 2023.