meredith
-
Posts
116 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Downloads
Store
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Blogs
Events
Posts posted by meredith
-
-
-
Hi there.
My oncologists have both told me that the most common type of cervical cancer--squamous--is triggered by the HPV virus, but they aren't sure about small cell. In my research I've come across cases of small cell in the bladder, prostate, pancreas, stomac, and several other organs. I hope they find the answers as to why some people get the more aggressive small cell cancers.
-
Hi there! Well, it's pretty rare. A lot of people think cervical cancer is just one type of cancer, but it's many different kinds. Small cell is the most aggressive I think.
Another interesting thing that I've noticed is that most women I've come across with this type seem to be quite young--20's and early 30's. Neither one of my oncologists had ever treated a patient with this type of cancer, and the biopsy was double checked to confirm the diagnoses.
I'm glad your mom made it through! Were her lung tumors a result of cervical cancer recurrence, or were they new primary tumors?
-
-
-
I saw Dr. West once when Dr. Goodman had to go to a conference. He examined me before chemo....
Dead Tumor Day--I like that!
-
Thank you. I am so happy that your father is doing well. The treatment is so tough, probably the hardest thing anyone can go through. Best wishes!
-
I did briefly look into adoption, and if I can be cancer-free for a numbenr of years, it's certainly something I would do.
The infertility is hard to deal with sometimes, and the menopause symptoms might even be worse! I couldn't believe it when I started getting hot flashes
-
Thank you! I look forward to being here and talking with people.
-
Hi Don.
I see that you are now at Swedish Cancer Institute! That's where I am as well. My medical oncologist is Dr. Goodman. My radiation oncologist was Dr. Eulau ( really liked him, very nice man). I've been hospitalized several times at Swedish hospital, too, and I'm impressed with the level of care.
Best of luck to you.
-
Thanks. I'll do that!
-
Hi Don. Thanks.
It looks like you and your wife have been through a lot, and it's encouraging to see that you're still fighting!
I just need encouragment, stories of survival, etc. And I hope to give support to others who need it, too.
-
Thanks for the words Carleen. I am very sorry to hear about your husband; both of you look very young.
I've been doing well over the past few months, despite the fears. Cancer has certainly not been controlling every aspect of my life--just got back from a long road trip actually and am taking an online class from my university (I had to quit school during treatment). I just start getting very nervous around scan time, though I know that's normal. But the anxiety can be so overwhelming.
My treatment was very very difficult, and so think I'm even more nervous now at the thought of more chemo than I was in the beginning when I didn't know much about it or how it would make me feel. However, I do feel lucky and grateful that I did have complete response to all the therapy. Even with small cell cervical cancer, that it not often achieved.
I think I've accepted what's happened to me--the cancer and not being able to have children. Certainly, I still dream I'll be able to. A lot of people our age are beginning to have children, and I have to admit that I feel lots of envy (or jealousy) when I see new mothers with their infants. But maybe one day I'll get to experience motherhood--who knows?
I wish your husband has responded better to treatments. But they are progressing. I was just reading a couple of weeks ago about a new virus that can kill cancer cells of neuroendocrine origin, and human trials are supposed to be starting soon.
I wish you both the best.
-
Thanks. I've looked through many of the threads already and have found a lot of info and encouragement.
-
HI everyone. My name is Meredith, 27 years old, and I have/had small cell cervical cancer. As far as support forums go, I have very few options, as this cancer is only rarely found outside of the lung. So I thought I might try here because my cancer has basically been treated the same as small cell lung cancer. I do hope it's OK if I post here?
My story: IN march of 2005, I was diagnosed with small cell cervical cancer. Quite rare. I had a very large tumor--9cm--that was initially treated with high doses of cisplatin and etoposide (6 rounds, 5 days a week, every 21 days). The tumor shrank dramatically and hysterectomy was attempted, but at surgery it was found that residual tumor was slightly attached to my small intestine (not mets per se). She closed me back up. I was referred to another oncologist who has treated sclc, but not small cell cervical. I got more cisplatin and irontecan, plus internal (2 times) and external radiation (5-6 weeks). Two months after completion of all treatment (mid-January), I had PET/CT scans which showed no evidence of cancer anywhere. Yeah! But more scans are coming in 2 weeks, and I'm scared. This cancer likes to come back, just like its lung counterpart.
I know there are more chemo options for me if it has come back, but I just dread it! I had so much chemo and radiation that I just felt like dying for several months. I still have a lot of stomach pain from the pelvic radiation, very scarred vagina and cervix (which means sex is out of the question), and pretty bad peripheral neuropathy in legs, feet and hands.
It's been very tough. I can't have any children--that was pretty devastating to hear. And I'm quite young, and I felt like there was so much ahead of me, so much I haven't done.
I think I need support the most. My family is great, so wonderful, but it's so hard talking to them because I know it makes them so sad. I try to avoid it, even though they ask me to talk to them, to share things.
Thanks for reading! Hopefully it's ok if I can be part of this group to get support and information.
Therapeutic Vaccine for Non-Small cell: Encouraging Results
in CLINICAL TRIALS
Posted
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060605/lam020.html?.v=49
ATLANTA, ASCO, June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- NovaRx Corporation announced at the American Society of Clinical Oncology ("ASCO") meeting in Atlanta, GA, that data from the Company's Phase II clinical trial treating individuals with advanced stages of non-small cell lung cancer ("NSCLC") demonstrated two year-survival more than four times that of individuals treated with the current standard of care. The Phase II study of 75 patients was designed to determine the safety and efficacy of Lucanix, a novel therapeutic treatment under development by NovaRx. In contrast to conventional cancer therapies, where systemic chemotherapeutic drugs nonspecifically kill the normal cells as well as tumor cells, the therapeutic vaccine developed by NovaRx specifically induces the patient's immune system to fight the cancer. In clinical studies to date, the side effects of this treatment have been shown to be minimal compared to those associated with traditional therapies.
ADVERTISEMENT
"These data are extremely encouraging," said John Nemunaitis, M.D., Executive Director at the Mary Crowley Medical Research Center in Dallas, TX, a clinical investigator and presenter of the Lucanix study results. "In addition to significantly increased survival rates, which is the gold standard for oncology clinical trials, we saw virtually no side effects with Lucanix. The unique mechanism of action and resulting efficacy and side effect profile could lead to a significant advancement in patient care. We look forward to initiating Phase III trials."
"The compelling data presented by Dr. Nemunaitis demonstrate that further testing of Lucanix may lead to a commercially viable, effective treatment for this deadly disease," said Dr. Habib Fakhrai, Ph.D., President and CEO of NovaRx and the inventor of the Company's technology. "We are in the final stages of preparing to initiate a pivotal, Phase III trial to test Lucanix in a two-arm, controlled study in approximately 400 individuals with advanced stages of NSCLC."
The therapeutic vaccine being developed by NovaRx consists of four non-small cell lung cancer cell lines that were originally derived from lung cancer patients. These cell lines were engineered to block a molecule called transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-Beta), which is a potent agent commonly produced by cancer cells that paralyzes the patients' immune system. Lucanix has been previously shown to induce immune-mediated antitumor responses in cancer patients, thus "jumpstarting" their immune response. The Phase II data demonstrate that the vaccine significantly improved survival in lung cancer patients by destroying, halting, or delaying disease progression.
There are 170,000 new cases of lung cancer and 160,000 deaths caused by this disease in the United States annually. Non-small cell lung cancer is responsible for approximately 130,000 of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year and is the number one cause of cancer death throughout the world.
NovaRx Corporation is a privately held biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego, California. The company is developing new therapeutic approaches for treating cancer with its lead indication focused on non-small cell lung cancer. NovaRx Corporation holds the exclusive worldwide license for this patented technology for the treatment and prevention of all cancers and plans to develop therapies for lung, brain, breast, colon, prostate and melanoma cancers. Patents have been issued in the U.S., Europe and Japan that protect the Company's intellectual property. Additionally, the Company is planning to initiate a multi-center pivotal Phase II/III clinical trial treating individuals with glioblastoma multiforme or gliosarcoma (brain cancers) in 2007. The Company is the recipient of two National Institutes of Health grants. Proceeds from these grants will partially offset the cost of the Phase II lung cancer trial and the planned pivotal Phase II/III brain cancer trial.
Lucanix is a trademark of NovaRx Corporation.
For more information on the company, please contact Kathy Witz Sweeney with Mentus at 858-455-5500, kwitz@mentus.com, or visit the NovaRx website at www.novarx.com.