Treatment

test

Depsipeptide Trial for T-Cell Lymphoma

Phase II Study of FR901228 (Depsipeptide) in Patients with Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, Relapsed Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma, or Other Mature T-Cell Lymphoma (NCI-01-C-0049). See the protocol summary at http://cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/NCI-01-C-0049.

Principal Investigators:

Dr. Susan E. Bates and Dr. Richard Piekarz, NCI Center for Cancer Research (CCR).

Why Is This Trial Important?

Trial Endorses Chemo Alone for Early-Stage NHL

A clinical trial comparing treatments for early stage aggressive lymphoma has found that an intensive regimen of chemotherapy is better than chemotherapy plus radiation for treating the disease in its early stages, according to a study in the March 24 New England Journal of Medicine.

PUVA Treatment Effective for Early Stage MF/CTCL

In the Archives of Dermatology 2005;141:305-311,325-330, researchers have found that psoralen plus ultraviolet light A (PUVA) therapy can induce long-term remissions in people with early stage mycosis fungoids (MF), the most common type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL.

More Information

Excitement still for Bexxar and Follicular Lymphoma

The articles keep coming in stating that Bexxar may be a better firt-line treatment for follicular lymphoma. Google News lists many articles including one from Reuters. Again this is only trial data but it would not hurt to show these results to your own doctor.

New: New England Journal of Medicine Abstract

Bexxar as a First Treatment for Follicular Lymphoma

News today from the New England Journal of Medicine. Trials to use Bexxar as a first line treatment for follicular lymphoma! In 75 percent of patients treated with Bexxar, all traces of the cancer disappeared. And more than three-quarters of patients with a complete remission were disease-free after five years.

The Bexxar treatment is already approved for people with follicular lymphoma once conventional chemotherapy has failed. Todays results will led to further study to determine if the US FDA will approve Bexxar as a first-line treatment.

Hope for Lymphoma Patients with HIV

News a few days ago - a new study suggests that stem cell transplants may now be an option for those with lymphoma and HIV infection. Great news!

Read the details in the press release.

Important: Water

I forgot in the constipation entry and it is important in general - you must drink lots of water. It helps with the digestive system but it also helps the body flush the used-up chemo and hopefully the dead bad cells out of the system.

I hate to be nagged about doing something so I rebel. But this is one I cannot ignore. Discuss this with the doctors too.

A dreaded word: Constipation

Maybe you will not have to worry about it. But it hit me hard during treatment: constipation (lack of bowel movements). I'm not sure why it happened - chemo? pain meds? cancer? Hard to say. Many strong pain medications can stop you up.

This is one area where you definitely talk to your doctor. Constipation can be severe. I had to go to the hospital once during treatment to correct this, not pleasant.

Your doctor may have you take a prescription or off-the-shelf product. Or prescribe eating certain foods and avoiding others.

Expanded Bexxar Use

On the heels of Bexxar's complete transfer from Corixa to GSK comes this press release:

Sleep

The world today seems like a busy place - pressure on us to hurry, get things done, burn the midnight oil, cram, sleep when absolutely necessary. I'm here to tell you that with lymphoma (and afterwards for some) that will change.

Treatments will leave you tired. Your body will need rest to fight the cancer. I'm not saying you'll stay in bed all through treatment - I worked 9 days out of 10 most 2 week periods (1 day for chemo, 1 weekend nauseated). But your friend is the nap. Naps are good. If just for 15-45 minutes, you'll be better off.