A few people have asked me to post a newbie ASH summary because of my perspective as a 6 month newly diagnosed CML patient. So I figured that I would sit down and write about the topics that I found interesting and of the most importance. DISCLAIMER: Let me first say that I'm not an M.D., nor a molecular biologist. It was only 6 months ago that I was diagnosed with CML and I've read a lot about CML during that period of time but I don't claim to be any sort of expert on any facet of CML or its treatment. So please take everything that you read with a grain of salt which is is a good rule of thumb for everything that is read on this list. Before summarizing some of the technical stuff that was presented, I thought that I would say that as a newbie, one of the things that struck me most at ASH is how I came to be here. It was only 6 months ago that I started IM therapy and if you had asked me 7 months ago about anything related to CML, Gleevec, ASH or researchers such as Dr. Druker, I would have simply said, "huh"? Suddenly here I am hanging onto every word and finding myself meeting some great people from this list and shaking hands with the likes of Dr. Druker. For many of us, CML has become a great equalizer. If you think about it, there is a lot of apparent randomness to life. Under normal circumstances, we tend not to think about our own mortality or those random events that can have a profound affect on our lives (the parents and children we are born with for example). Instead, people tend to live in a bubble; we drive to work in a car which is a sort of a bubble; we work with the same people which is another bubble; we hang out with the same friends which is another form of a bubble. Then suddenly something like CML comes along and the bubble bursts. We suddenly have more in common with people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds than we ever thought possible. Every day, people from all walks of life, all over the planet are diagnosed with CML and go through similar patterns of shock, disbelief and anxiety. Each CML patient must have wondered at some point, "how did this happen?", "why me?", "am I going to die?", "how good, long term, will Gleevec be?". This pattern repeats itself day after day. Life happens. But what has most amazed me about CML is that rather than being a huge downer, it has surprisingly enriched my life in many ways. It has given me an opportunity to meet either in person or via e-mail some truly wonderful people many of whom are on this list. It has also empowered me to take stock of my life and make better use of the limited time remaining of what I hope will be a long and normal lifespan. Lastly, it has allowed me to watch one of the most exciting and revolutionary changes in medical history unfold. This is of course the development of molecularly targeted therapies for cancer. THE BUZZ: This is an exciting time to attend ASH. Researchers are learning more every month about every facet of CML. Mutation mechanisms, Gleevec efficacy, new inhibitors, new combinations of drugs, new pathways, the mechanisms to disable the proteins that activate these pathways are all areas where tremendous progress has been made over the past year. It's hard to say when a real cure will be found, but it doesn't seem far off. Amazingly for us, this rare disease that we all share (CML) is truly leading the way. CML has become the rosetta stone for cancer research. Dr. Sawyers recently phrased it best in an interview when he said that, "this is the blueprint for treating other cancers". In my career I've had firsthand opportunities to see two other technological revolutions unfold. The first was the development of the personal computer in the early 1980's and more recently the explosion in cellular telecommunications. ASH reminds me of the early days of these other fields. Optimism is everywhere. People know that they are onto something big. It has the same feel of the sky is the limit. This is heady times for researchers and the excitement is palpable. I have little doubt that one or more of the researchers that I've shaken hands with and have had the pleasure to speak to is a future nobel prize winner. For many of these researchers, ASH has become an opportunity to display the great progress that they have made and for some of them it's almost as though they are walking on Cloud 9. An example of this was when Cheryl-Anne and I had a chance to speak to Dr. Sawyers. I said "So I assume job satisfaction is high", to which he replied with a big grin, "Yup, I feel pretty good when I get up in the morning". What an understatement. THE PEOPLE: There is an interesting story about how I came to attend ASH. I hadn't planned on attending ASH even though it was local to me here in San Diego this year, because I wasn't sure how much I would get out of it (lots as it turns out). ASH was amazingly informative and surprisingly fun. So much so that I've decided to become a formal ASH member and attend the conference next year. What makes the story interesting is that our fellow listmember Richard R. was unable to attend ASH and being the warm, generous person that he is, he sent me his registration material and allowed me to register in his place. I must admit that I had fleeting thoughts of Chevy Chase in the movie Fletch when I thought about walking around ASH with a badge that said, "Richard Rockefeller, MD". But I restrained myself and we were able to re-register with my name. Richard, if you are reading this thanks again and I'm sorry that you weren't able to attend. I would also like to thank Cheryl-Anne for allowing me to tag along with her. We had a blast! As I mentioned in another post, who would have thought that having a serious illness could be so much fun! In particular, Thursday and Friday were closed meetings sponsored by corporations and she was able to get me in to see some great presentations by some internationally renowned researchers such as Dr. Timothy Hughes. As an added bonus we were wined and dined! For those of you who don't know Cheryl-Anne, she is a truly great person. Warm, intelligent, very well read and she has tons of energy. She gives me hope that my Gleevec depleted energy level will return to normal, as it has obviously done for her. I was also very pleased to meet some of my fellow listmates such as Kelly and Rob Harless and also Virginia and Van Garner. ASH was also a great opportunity to meet and talk directly with the likes of Dr's: Druker, Sawyers, Shah, Hughes, Holyoake, etc. It was also a great opportunity to listen to lectures by the other greats such as: Dr's. Hochhaus, Talpaz, Cortes, Giles, etc. It was my first opportunity to meet Dr. Druker and thank him personally for his work on Gleevec and for quite possibly saving my life. After I shook his hand, I told him that I was diagnosed 6 months ago with a 332,000 WBC, huge spleen, near constant 101 degree fever and now look at me! I said, "Thanks for saving my life". We looked directly into each others eyes and he seemed really touched. The work that he did with Gleevec has had a profound positive affect on my life and as we looked into each others eyes it was clear that we both knew it. Cheryl-Anne and I crossed paths with him the next day and he remembered us and gave us a big smile and wave. Unlike the sales and marketing exhibitors, both Dr. Druker and Dr. Sawyers seemed genuinely happy to see CML patients attend ASH. We were obviously very enthused and motivated about their work. In addition, it helps to put faces behind the research so that others, especially the drug companies realize that this is more than just a business. We really are talking about peoples lives. We should encourage more patients to attend. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/8zSolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> New! Sign up for local CML support group meetings in your local community at http://cml.meetup.com Apply for Commercial Real Estate loans online and submit your deal to dozens of hungry lenders in just minutes. 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