im new here and have one question – REVLIMID

[mario]

hi all
my dad got in hospital last week and doc said he has 20-25% of blasts.
he also has chromosome -5 and his white cells are low – 3.1

doc said first its leukemia or – MDS.

he prescribed REVILIMID to start with.

Now im confused after doing research on net.
Does REVILIMID helps to fight BLASTS?
All i could find on net is that REVILIMID helps with Multiple Myeloma.

does it help with leukemia.
Or its all same thing and im just confused…
any help?

[gj]

Hi Mario

I’m not an expert on Revlimid but I do know it is used extensively for chromosome -5q deletion.
There is a post near the top of the chain about FDA approval and some of the dicussion might help. One by sara ner the bottom of page 1 says it is used primary involving red blood cells.
Couple of sources you might want to check is AAMDS(anaplastic anemia & MDS)web site and the NCI(national cancer institute)sites.
The only other thing you can do is ask questions of the doctors, nurses and staff till you find answers that explain things for you that are in layman terms.
Wishing you and your dad the strength on this journey.
greg

[jaxem]

mario
revlimid has been found to be effective in fighting disease with a chromosome 5 deleted cell. 20-25% blasts is considered aml. yes, it can be very effective in getting into remission.

[MNladyslipper]

Mario,
Revlimid is most effective in extending the time between red blood transfusions – giving the patient a better quality of life. Our doctor from Mayo told us that it will usually take care of the 5q chromosome and in about a third of the cases it will reverse some other chromosome damage. I am not sure about the blasts, but if Jack says it works – I’d listen. He is an expert on the board. He has done his research and is very saavy. Good Luck!

[mario]

thank u for so quick responses!

jack – you mean it can fight also blast cells?

my dad will start REVLIMID in 4-5 days.
i asked already his doc about this medicine and he said it will improve (we hope) my dads condition!

But i would like to know if this medicine can cure complitely my dad,not just improve life!

He didnt want to start with chemo right now because it is much more toxic and my dad can die from it.

[Mary4Mike]

Mario,

I am not an expert on Revlimid, but I can tell you that Revlimid or any other chemo treamtment will not cure your dad. The only known cure is a bone marrow transplant (BMT), ie stem cell, cord blood. A successful result with chemo is to become transfusion (TX) free. Many people on this forum have had good results from chemo and these results have lasted for quite awhile. There have been new treatment drugs introduced in the last few years and hopefully they will continue to come forth.

If your dad responds to Revlimid it would improve his condition and hopefully, his life. If not, there are other drugs that can be tried. Just remember, it takes a few cycles of any drug to begin to see results.

You and your father are in our prayers. Please keep us up on what is happening with him.

Mary

[mario]

my dad already had AML 8 y ago and after chemo- therapy he was “cured” for 8 years.
now leukemia is back.
i asked doc if we can use same treatment that we used before (chemo) and he said to not rush and try Revlimid.

I just dont know if Revlimid has same power to cure my dad as chemo did.
I asked even all nurses in hospital what they know about this drug and didn`t get any answer.

[MNladyslipper]

Mario,
Revlimid is a chemotherapy drug. It is not as toxic as inductive chemo drugs. Mary is right – it is not a cure, but some have had amazing results. Check this site out for listings from Kirby. He has had great results. It was working for my husband. He went almost three months without a transfusion before he had a surgery for diverticulitis. He is now in his first cycle since the surgery, but will face a transplant at the end of the month.

[mario]

thank u so much for your answers.
i was so busy staying with my dad in hospital,hes got some fewer and feels very tired.
doctor had some bad news for us,other then MDS with 20% blasts he has also -5q and -7q.
doctor put him on Revlimid from today.
My dad is 72 y old and i dont beleive he qualifies for any kind of transplant.
Mayo clinic is close to our place , do you think it will be worth trying there to get second opinion?

[jaxem]

mario
revlimid will drop blasts especially on -5q. -7q is a nasty chromosome defect & is tougher to kill. always look for add’l opinions. 20-25% blasts is aml & monosomy 7 can grow quickly. good luck to your dad.

[mario]

hi jack

yeah i know, -7q is very bad thing.
doc said 20-25% blasts is AML but he will use REVLIMID because it is not toxic as chemo.
and it can probably help because my dad is also -5q.

i dont know,this is so confusing,my family is still in shock so we have to trust our doctor and his opinions.

[Author]

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