Hi Marty - Yes, it would be foolish for anyone taking a life-saving medication to risk their life by stopping the medication due to worries about a "possible" side effect. At the same time, we must continue to expand our treatment options as well as our knowledge about side effects and the harm they can cause. As the new president of MD Anderson Cancer Center said this weekend during their survivor's conference, the focus of today's research includes learning more about the side effects of treatment and working on ways to make the multiple treatment methods used for cancer less toxic for the patients that receive them. That's good news for all of us!
Take care Pat Elliott Phoenix, Arizona From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Martin Gartenberg Sent: Friday, September 16, 2011 6:09 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [CMLHope] Re: French health service further investigating Gleevec Hi Pat, Of course people should know as much as possible about the drugs they are taking. Every drug has a side effect on someone but the alternative "side effect" of not taking Gleevec is not acceptable. If you were told that you may have a secondary cancer down the road if you continued taking Gleevec would you stop taking it? There is a key word here, and that is "may" happen. So let's say that you switch TKI's then what about that new one? Could that one cause something down the road? What do you do? I wish you much health and as long as your alive then that is what really matters, doesn't it... 18's (Stands for life) Marty On Wed, Sep 14, 2011 at 5:19 PM, Pat Elliott <[email protected]> wrote: CML is my second cancer. I too want to know all of the risks and potential side effects, especially as more TKIs, and therefore more choices, become available. My medical team and I balance multiple considerations, and need data to do so. We have already had to address the potential risk of increasing the chance of a recurrence of the first cancer while considering changing my TKI. This involved two "expert" opinions, one of which was inaccurate. Fortunately we were able to consult with a third expert, one who is only focused on CML, and get the data we needed to make the right choices. Separately, I feel very strongly that patients with any type of cancer deserve to know the full risks they face from their treatments, including the risk of developing blood cancers down the road, so they can make informed choices, be aware of the potential warning signs, and optimize their chances for recovery. Pat Elliott Phoenix, Arizona -- [CMLHope] A support group of http://cmlhope.com ------------------------------------------------- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope -- [CMLHope] A support group of http://cmlhope.com ------------------------------------------------- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope -- [CMLHope] A support group of http://cmlhope.com ------------------------------------------------- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope
