Chilean GISTers and CML patients meet!
On Saturday December 15, 2012, a group of CML and GIST patients got together to summarize activities done during 2012, and celebrate the end of the year.
LRG annual holiday fundraiser going strong!
If you have been mailed a fundraising packet and still have donor cards to send out, it is not too late. Consider passing one on to a neighbor co-worker, friend or family member.
LRG & colleagues make their mark on 17th annual CTOS meeting in Prague
Representatives from the Life Raft Group recently traveled to Prague, Czech Republic to attend the annual Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) meeting. CTOS is an international group comprised of physicians and scientists with a primary interest in the tumors of connective tissues.
Patients Face Numerous Obstacles In Quest For Life-Saving Treatment
“It was such a frustrating time. It was awful,” Linda says, recalling how doctors had recommended she give Glaxo-SmithKline’s drug Votrient a shot but was unable to get Jessica’s insurance company to cover it despite appeals documented by GIST specialists.
Imatinib Plasma Levels Revisited – An editorial post by Jerry Call
Since we have gotten a number of questions about Gleevec (imatinib) plasma levels and testing, I think it’s time to revisit the subject, especially for newer members. Since this is a very complex subject, this may take a few emails and a few days.
Stivarga Side Effects
Stivarga comes in 40 mg tablets. Once opened, it must be used within 28 days. Stivarga must be stored in the bottle that it comes in, the desiccant must remain in the bottle; keep bottle tightly sealed. Do not store in a daily or weekly pill box.
Understanding Drug Classes
Many new cancer drugs are entering clinical practice and clinical trials. Many GIST patients are no longer responding to Gleevec or Sutent and thus are looking for clinical trials. Understanding strategies and grouping these new drugs into classes with other similar drugs may help patients understand some of their choices.
New Immunotherapy Approach Advances
The new treatment uses T cells, a type of immune cell that are taken from the patient’s body, genetically modified and then reinfused into the patient. These modified T cells are called chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. In previous trials with these modified T cells, tumor responses have been modest and they did not persist for long enough after being re-introduced into the patient. Using this second generation CAR T cell, Dr. Carl June and his colleagues at Penn obtained long-lasting persistence once the cells were re-introduced.
Countdown to Election Day
Here is a handy snapshot of how the proposed affordable care act impacts GIST patients.
Cancer Caregiving Tips By Janeen
Caring for someone suffering from an illness is hard, there's no other way to put it. Most of the time it gets easier but in the beginning right after a surgery, it can be very emotionally draining and frightening. Caring for someone you love is even more so as there is an emotional connection, a deep desire to alleviate the pain and suffering we see in the eyes of the person whose bedside we are hovering over.