When I have a few minutes of time at work, I look up information on Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) on the Web. It's not even listed in my usual go to site for information: chemocare.com. Now what? I find the main site (adcetris.com) and start reading.
The most amazing thing? It was approved by the FDA for the treatment of Hodgkins on August 19, 2011. And before that announcement, 30 years passed without any advancements in Hodgkins treatments. So the very day I checked into LDS Hospital for a bone marrow transplant last year is the very day that the FDA gave approval for Adcetris to be used in treating relapsed (cancer that came back after a short time) Hodgkins.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for never leaving me without any hope! Thank you for letting that advancement be discovered just before I'd need it!
Adcetris is different from all of the others that I've had so far (and that's saying a lot!) because it's the first that works with the immune system to fight the cancer. And it really combines two different drugs. Researchers discovered that Hodgkins cells have a certain marker named CD30, so the first drug (brentuximab) is an antibody that attaches itself to CD30. The Hodgkins cells then absorb the Adcetris. Then, the second part of the drug, MMAE, kicks in. It's what kills cells.
Incredible!
Of course, it's not without side effects. The ones most commonly reported are peripheral neuropathy (tingling or loss of sensation in your fingers and toes), but I've already got that from Vinblastine about four years ago. Neutropenia (low numbers of white blood cells), nausea, and fatigue were the most reported side effects.
Of course, I don't agree with the maker's definition of success though. They count the treatment as successful if the tumors shrink by half or more. That's not good enough for me!
A blessing promised me that the treatment would exceed all expectations. Well, I expect the chemo to kill all of the cancer in my body and keep it away for at least another 3-4 years. Dr. Wendy's 5-year plan is out the door, but I figure that the blessing means that I have at least a 7-year plan now. Maybe I should raise my expectations to really high (live to 70?) and then let the promised blessing exceed those heightened expectations.
Do you think it would work? ;-)
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