Last Thursday I got disappointing news that the chemo therapy protocol that I am on is not working. The tumors are growing in both my pelvis and back. This is contrary to the encouraging news from few weeks ago that the tumor on my back was shrinking. After a few days of shock and despair, I contacted Dr. Sabbatini, the sarcoma specialist in MSKCC in NYC and he heavily suggested a drug call Votrient. Votrient is a newly approved FDA drug that is used for renal cancer and is in phase III studies for sarcoma. It's not a chemotherapy but a tyosine kinase inhibitor which blocks proteins, I don't understand it fully but I know the drug works very differently than chemotherapy. I may have some hoops to jump through to get Votrient but I am pretty certain I can get it and I am doing everything I can to expedite the process.
I am still working on keeping my weight up which has become harder because my appetite isn't as hardy as it was. I frequently have abdominal pain which is a real downer for eating and to make things more complicated, I am super finicky about what I want to eat; one minute its roast beef the next cinnamon bread.
I hope next time I post I will have better news.
Becca
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Hey, sweetie. Sorry about the discouraging news. You must feel so battered. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are the latest in targeted therapies. They are supposed to be pretty gentle, and can work super well. I'll send an email soon.
ReplyDeleteMissing you,
Denise