I am bummed out. I cannot go into the SOLO2 clinical trial. After completing 6 rounds of Cisplatin and several trips to Princess Margaret Cancer Centre to provide blood samples and a CT Scan the researchers have told me I cannot proceed. My CA 125 numbers have been trending up since the 4 th infusion of Cislplatin which means the cancer is active. The trial specifically requires the CA 125 be below 35 and stable. Mine is not..... They are now considering me to be Platinum Resistant.
The good news is they have another trial for me. First off, they have recommended more chemo treatement using the drug Gemcitabine pending the results from another CT Scan which is scheduled for November 7th. If the scan shows an increase in size of cancer from the September 29th scan then chemo is probably on the table. If the scan shows little difference then we can probably wait a bit longer and rescan in another month or 2. I am hoping for a bit of a reprieve from chemo. I need the time to get more healthy and strong. I feel like a rag doll.
In addtion to the chemo they have given me information regarding a new trial that combines Gemcitabine chemo treatment with another drug which is taken orally. The trial is called 'A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Phase II trial Compaing Gemcitabine Monotherapy to Gemcitabine in Combination with AZD1775 in Women with Recurrent, Platinum Resistant Epithelial Ovarian, Primary Peritoneal or Fallopian Tube Cancers.' Quite the mouthful!
So this is where I am. It is the usual wait and see.
Showing posts with label Solo2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solo2. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Solo2 Clinical Trial
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is a busy place. I had to wait an hour to get my bloodwork done and then found out I was in the wrong place. I have a port-a-cath and should have gone to Ambulatory Care for blood work. Next time.
My appointment was for 10:30 but did not see doctor until 12:30 pm. They are quite busy seeing the multitudes. We left Princess Margaret at 2:30 pm. We were there a full 5 and 1/2 hours. I hope you never have to see an oncologist or the inside of a cancer centre. Chances are you will because as people live longer their cells go haywire and cancer develops.
This was considered a first meeting and after discussing my medical situation the doctor seemed to think that I may be a suitable candidate for the Solo2 clinical trial. This was not before he had to leave several times to confer with various researchers. Seems most of my ducks are getting in order: recurrent ovarian cancer, favourable response to a platinum drug (Cisplatin), BRCA2 carrier (they need to still see my genetic report from 2011), and CT Scans show some visible evidence of disease (they will have to verify this more).
They also decided I should finish up with my chemo treatments. Usually a course of chemo is 6 infusions. I have 2 more to go. The study requires patients to begin the trial within 8 weeks of chemo ending. Therefore, my last chemo should be the week of September 22nd and if accepted into trial I would begin no later than week of November 17th. That is according to my calculations.
The drug they are testing is Olaparib. As I stated in a previous post it is a drug that inhibits a cancer cell from repairing itself. It is considered a maintenance drug which keeps the cancer from growing so that it lengthens the period of 'remission'. That is what we are always trying to achieve although technically I have not been in remission since 2011.
Solo2 is a phase III trial and they are recruiting 264 people all over the world. Because the researchers have not yet decided whether I qualify they wanted me to get registered in case the study closes between now and November. If the study closes then I can still participate. Of course they still have to definitively accept me into the study and I have to consent. I was given a 23 page Study Information and Consent Form to read. It is quite extensive in introducing the study, its purpose, a thorough explanation regarding its experimental status, charts explaining how often I need to visit hospital for tests and follow ups, all the potential side effects, my responsibilities as a participant, confidentiality, risks, etc. I can drop out of study at any time.
On the one hand I hope to be accepted into this trial. It is cutting edge science and could help me to attain some degree of remission. Cost is picked up by drug company (AstraZeneca). This study, if successful, could provide oncologists with another tool for maintenance treatment in future ovarian cancer cases. On the other hand it is experimental. Long term side effects are unknown. Side effects while on drug could be unpleasant but maybe not. At least with chemo my experience is a week of unpleasantness and a couple of weeks of normalcy of sorts. And I could end up in the placebo group and get no benefit at all. I still have several questions I want to ask of my assigned trial nurse and I have some time to fully consider this trial.
My appointment was for 10:30 but did not see doctor until 12:30 pm. They are quite busy seeing the multitudes. We left Princess Margaret at 2:30 pm. We were there a full 5 and 1/2 hours. I hope you never have to see an oncologist or the inside of a cancer centre. Chances are you will because as people live longer their cells go haywire and cancer develops.
This was considered a first meeting and after discussing my medical situation the doctor seemed to think that I may be a suitable candidate for the Solo2 clinical trial. This was not before he had to leave several times to confer with various researchers. Seems most of my ducks are getting in order: recurrent ovarian cancer, favourable response to a platinum drug (Cisplatin), BRCA2 carrier (they need to still see my genetic report from 2011), and CT Scans show some visible evidence of disease (they will have to verify this more).
They also decided I should finish up with my chemo treatments. Usually a course of chemo is 6 infusions. I have 2 more to go. The study requires patients to begin the trial within 8 weeks of chemo ending. Therefore, my last chemo should be the week of September 22nd and if accepted into trial I would begin no later than week of November 17th. That is according to my calculations.
The drug they are testing is Olaparib. As I stated in a previous post it is a drug that inhibits a cancer cell from repairing itself. It is considered a maintenance drug which keeps the cancer from growing so that it lengthens the period of 'remission'. That is what we are always trying to achieve although technically I have not been in remission since 2011.
Solo2 is a phase III trial and they are recruiting 264 people all over the world. Because the researchers have not yet decided whether I qualify they wanted me to get registered in case the study closes between now and November. If the study closes then I can still participate. Of course they still have to definitively accept me into the study and I have to consent. I was given a 23 page Study Information and Consent Form to read. It is quite extensive in introducing the study, its purpose, a thorough explanation regarding its experimental status, charts explaining how often I need to visit hospital for tests and follow ups, all the potential side effects, my responsibilities as a participant, confidentiality, risks, etc. I can drop out of study at any time.
On the one hand I hope to be accepted into this trial. It is cutting edge science and could help me to attain some degree of remission. Cost is picked up by drug company (AstraZeneca). This study, if successful, could provide oncologists with another tool for maintenance treatment in future ovarian cancer cases. On the other hand it is experimental. Long term side effects are unknown. Side effects while on drug could be unpleasant but maybe not. At least with chemo my experience is a week of unpleasantness and a couple of weeks of normalcy of sorts. And I could end up in the placebo group and get no benefit at all. I still have several questions I want to ask of my assigned trial nurse and I have some time to fully consider this trial.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)