Posted on 03/01/2023 9:02:06 AM PST by ConservativeMind
An on-going, worldwide shortage of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) means that many patients with a common and serious type of bladder cancer have limited access to this effective standard of care treatment. But for the first time in almost 50 years, there appears to be a viable treatment alternative.
A new study finds that a safe, inexpensive combo-chemotherapy is better tolerated than BCG and is better at preventing high-grade cancer recurrence in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).
Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the U.S., and NMIBC accounts for about 75% of bladder cancer cases. High-risk NMIBC has a significant risk of both recurrence and progression. Typical treatment for high-risk NMIBC involves surgical removal of the tumor followed by treatment with BCG.
The new approach, which was developed by Michael O'Donnell, MD over 10 years ago, replaces BCG with a combination of two inexpensive, readily available chemotherapy drugs—gemcitabine and docetaxel (gem/doce). Based on this pioneering research from the UI, other major cancer centers have increasingly adopted this regimen, as well. Most recently, a UI study published in 2022 showed that 82% of patients with high-risk NMIBC who were treated with gem/doce instead of BCG remained cancer-free two years after treatment.
With the new study, Packiam, O'Donnell and their UI colleagues address that limitation by retrospectively comparing outcomes of 312 patients who received either gem/doce or BCG over a 10-year period.
The study found that gem/doce provided better recurrence-free survival in patients with high-risk NMIBC compared to BCG, and fewer patients who received gem/doce therapy discontinued their treatment compared to patients who received BCG.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Hmm, it occurs to me perhaps that necessity may be like a parent to invention in some sense. Maybe there is a way to codify this in a proverb...
As I am just now starting treatment with Sloan Kettering I will be sure to ask about this...
Thanks so much for posting this....God bless....
Alternatives always exist. The question is and has always been : HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THEY?
Have a look at
Most insurance, Medicare, Medicaid accepted.
They discuss all alternatives with you, the pros and cons, including their treatment.
Whether it's hype or not, Lederman claims a 95% success rate.
Can't ignore that, is spite of the media and medical establishment onslaught against him. They have been relentless....
Still, my scientific/objective side says.."keep it on the back burner"
I am presently undergoing this treatment. The first round of six treatments one week apart shows marked improvement in my bledder. It has been with out any side effects at all.
Here’s a possible alternative:
https://www.seagen.com/science/pipeline
Look under Enformutab Vendotin
KEYNOTE905 Study is underway.
https://www.seagen.com/science/pipeline/enfortumab-vedotin
It’s called an Antibody-Drug Conjugate. An antibody targets key protein on a cancer cell. Lands on the cell. Attached to the antibody is chemotherapy. The chemo is linked by a linker molecule. Cancer cell disolves the link and the cancer cell commits apoptosis (cell death or cell suicide).
Think of it as a nasty form of uber eats for cancer. The chemo only goes to the cancer cells, and none other.
It’s a new day for cancer treatment.
You’re in my prayers.
My paternal grandmother died of bladder cancer when my dad was 8 years old.
God bless you...
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