vidaza after AML relapse

[Carruth]

This is my first time to participate–I’ve been reading for over a week. You guys are amazing! My mother-in-law began vidaza a few weeks ago and is scheduled to do the second round next week (4/7). She had induction for AML in October/06, but was too ill for consolidation. Her numbers began falling a few months ago, with blasts I think around 5%. She barely survived the initial chemo (pneumonia, staph, bleeding, etc.) and took months even to walk again. Anyway, just wondering if anyone has had success with vidaza after relapsing from an original diagnosis of AML. The first vidaza treatment plummeted her counts and she ended up in the hospital four days. She’s 74, by the way.

[Russ P.]

Carruth, Not sure about the AML diagnosis with blasts at 5%. I didn’t go from MDS to AML untill the blasts were over 20%. Anyway it is difficult to say how your MIL will do as everyone responds differently. Vidaza and Dacogen both knock down the WBC, PLT, & ANC so it helps to have the numbers up to start. Pray she will come through it OK.
Russ

[Carruth]

Russ
Thanks for the response. Let me clarify my mil’s situation. In October of ’06 she was diagnosed AML with 25% blasts and immediately went into the hospital for induction. She went into remission after a horrible time with the chemo, but was too ill to have the consolidation. When her counts began falling in September of ’07, her Dr said she couldn’t survive the same chemo again, but said vidaza was mild and had helped many. She wants to fight, but doesn’t want to know much. Thus I am learning as much as possible. She has three sons and I am the only daughter-in-law, but we get along really well.
Thank you so much–I’m glad to be getting some good information. By the way, she had to get platelets just this week as the count was down again to 8000. WBC also still low, but reds holding since several tx’s last week in hospital.

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