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Odd situation at my cancer center


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#1 SunNsand

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Posted 14 June 2011 - 09:03 AM

  First of all I lost my PCRU status but I'm more concerned with the happenings at my cancer center. All the oncologists at my cancer center have resigned. They have been having to purchase all chemo drugs for their patients for the last year and evidently they've had enough. I asked if this was a common practice and I was told it is a growing trend. What is going on? Why would our oncologists need to purchase the drugs out of their own pocket? Does anyone know the politics behind such a situation?



#2 jsmiddiebrush

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Posted 14 June 2011 - 10:15 AM

Hmmm, that's concerning all right!  I'm assuming this applies to chemo drugs given administered infusion at the cancer center, as opposed tot he oral "chemo."   I have no idea about any of this, but it does seem odd!  As I recal you're in Indiana?  (I'm in Indy)  Just out of curiosity which Cancer Center is it?



#3 CallMeLucky

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Posted 14 June 2011 - 10:24 AM

With regard to the loss of PCRU, I just want to share something my oncologist told me yesterday.  My oncologist is on the NCCN board for CML treatment so I take a lot of what she says to heart.  She is an expert in every sense of the word.

I asked her what my long term treatment goal was and she said I hit it.  I'm MMR 3 log reduction (pending latest PCR, hopefully nothing will change).  I said what about CMR.  She told me that CMR most of the time is not real.  She said PCR testing is not accurate enough to trully indicate CMR and therefore even when a test shows CMR it is often not the case.  She said patients will bounce around on the low end, dipping in and out of detectable and get frustrated because they think it means something bad.  She said the only time it is considered bad is if there is a consistent upward trend in the PCR showing full log increases.

I know psychologically we like CMR and if I get there, I will be pissed if I lose it.  The thing to keep in mind though is that for disease progression and overall survival, there is no known difference between being in MMR or CMR.


Date  -  Lab  -  Scale  -  Drug  -  Dosage MG  - PCR
2010/Jul -  MSKCC  -  Non-IS  -  Gleevec  - 400 - 1.2%
2010/Oct -  MSKCC  -  Non-IS  -  Gleevec  - 400 - 0.25%
2010/Dec -  MSKCC  -  Non-IS  -  Gleevec  - 400 - 0.367%
2011/Mar -  MSKCC  -  Non-IS  -  Gleevec  - 400 - 0.0081%
2011/Jun -  MSKCC  -  Non-IS  -  Gleevec  - 400 - 0%
2011/Sep -  MSKCC  -  Non-IS  -  Gleevec  - 400 - 0.00084%
2011/Dec -  MSKCC  -  Non-IS  -  Gleevec  - 400 - 0%
2012/Mar -  MSKCC  -  Non-IS  -  Gleevec  - 400 - 0.004%
2012/Jun -  MSKCC  -  Non-IS  -  Gleevec  - 400 - 0%
2012/Sep -  MSKCC  -  Non-IS  -  Gleevec  - 400 - 0%
2012/Dec -  MSKCC  -  Non-IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0%
2013/Jan -  Quest  -  IS  -  Sprycel  -  50-60-70  - 0%
2013/Mar -  Quest  -  IS  -  Sprycel  -  60-70  - 0%
2013/Apr -  CUMC  -  Non-IS  -  Sprycel  - 50 - 0.036%
2013/May -  CUMC  -  Non-IS  -  Sprycel  - 50 - 0.046%
2013/Jun -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 50 - 0.0239%
2013/Jul -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 70 - 0.0192%
2013/Jul -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 70 - 0.0034%
2013/Oct -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 70 - 0.0054%
2014/Jan -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 70 - 0.0093%
2014/Mar -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0.013%
2014/Apr -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0.0048%
2014/Jul -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0%
2014/Nov -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0.047%
2014/Dec -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0%
2015/Mar -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0%
2015/Jun -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0%
2015/Sep -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0%
2015/Dec -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0%
2016/Mar -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0.0228%
2016/Jun -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0%
2016/Sep -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0%
2016/Dec -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0%
2017/Mar -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0%
2017/Jun -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0%
2017/Sep -  Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  - 100 - 0%
2017/Dec - Genoptix  -  IS  -  Sprycel  -  100 - 0%
 

 


#4 SunNsand

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Posted 14 June 2011 - 11:18 AM

jsmiddiebrush - I sent you a pm regarding which cancer center it is. The Dr.'s have 6 mths. before they leave so I am hoping something gets worked out but it's stressful nevertheless.



#5 SunNsand

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Posted 14 June 2011 - 11:23 AM

CallMeLucky - Thanks for the encouraging words and yes psychologically, we like to remain there forever! I'm not too concerned though, I've bopped in and out of it before. Fits my personality, I'm a bit ornery so its likely my stem cells are too!



#6 Happycat

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Posted 17 June 2011 - 03:19 PM

I've read a lot recently about certain chemotherapy drugs being unavailable or of very limited supply.  I wonder if it could somehow be related to that?  A lot of the drugs in short supply are very old, cheap to make, and without a lot of profit, so the drug companies and generics are less incentivized to produce them.  Kinda the same situation for vaccines, if you remember those news stories.  It could be the scarcity is changing the suppliers demands re: payment terms, and the cancer center is passing the charge on to the doctors.

Traci






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