10 replies to this topic

[mck_001]

My PCR is 0.21 and I thought 0.1 was MMR per international scale, but MD A's PA just told me that 0.28 and that I am now in MMR per the international scale.

Should I be celebrating my MMR or not??

PCR history: dx-unreliable, Nov  - 1.87, Mar - 1.14, May - 0.21

I know the 3-log redux is the true MMR, but I don't know my dx PCR.

[Tedsey]

Dear MK,

Well, I HOPE it is MMR!  How unique you would be after having lost CCyR when you reduced your Sprycel dosage!  And to start back up and achieve MMR!  Great!  I hope this is so!

Teds

[mck_001]

Teds, I am theorizing that my loss of CCyR in March was a result of my 3 week TKI break in Dec/Jan.  Which is both comforting and scary at the same time that these TKI's are so effective.  I'm also thankful that it appears that I'm making good progress on 70mg!!!  I'm tolerating it so much better...still hovering a little low with my WBC, especially neutrophils, but never below 1.1 ANC.

Something interesting that was mentioned though is my platelets have been normal or just below normal, but my bruising moderate.  It was said that if my bruising gets more severe, then that may mean that my platelets aren't functioning good enough for me to tolerate sprycel, despite the higher counts.  He siad I shouldn't be bruising like this unless I was below 70 and I was at 130.

[mck_001]

I'm eager for my next aspiration in August so I can see my trend!!! 

[Tedsey]

Me too!  May it all be good!  And weird thing about those PLT, eh?  I am at 20-30K and I clot normally and do not bruise any more than normal.  Go figure...  My ANC wobbles around 1.0 too.  So far, so good.

[Trey]

If you believe in rounding, you are close enough.

[Tedsey]

Speaking of rounding, my onc tends to do this.  My blast count at dx was 1% on one test and 2.6% on another.  She wrote me a "letter of introduction", (hee, hee), for when we go abroad this fall.  She rounded the blasts up to 3%.  Does it matter?  Does it matter for PCR values?

Teds

[Trey]

Teds,

I assume the lower blast count was from blood and the higher count from marrow?

[Tedsey]

Aspirate smear (500 cells): 2.6%

Peripheral (200 cells): 2.0%

One onc wrote me up at 8% blasts and throughout the oncologists' reports about me (various because of teaching hospital), reports of the blasts range from 1% to 8% (I am not sure why the reporting is so inconsistent).  However, what I wrote above was the official pathology report.

Do you average the basts in the aspirate & peripheral to get a total (but that doens't seem right)?  What test determines the blast count at dx?

Teds

[Trey]

Teds,

Your original Oncs were not very accurate about a number of items.  There likely never was an 8% number.  I would go with the marrow number (2.6%) which is a Chronic Phase number.

I don't understand why the 500 and 200 cells are associated with blast count.  Those are FISH test numbers.

Message was edited by: Brooke15- **Please remember that no one on this board is certified to give medical advice. The board can only offer their experience and opinion.  Please make sure to consult with your onccologist on all matters regarding your tests or treatment

[Tedsey]

I would believe them to be FISH too if they ever admitted they did one FISH on me.  But they said they never use that test.  Since the university cancer center I went to used their own testing measures, it may have been similar to a FISH.  There is nothing else reported with a blast count but that.  You may remember that the PCR-like test result at dx was unquantifiable.  I will just have to go with what I have now and try to leave the rest behind, but it is hard.  I keep on wanting to come back to something substantial.  I guess that fact that I was dx with CML in CP is the best I'll ever get.

Thanks,

Teds