Blogging in B Minor

Happy Saturday – Third post in three days.  Lots happening. 

This will be a very quick post.  My Neuro-Oncologist called last night with some pretty good news.  She spoke to the Medical Director at Northwest Biotherapeutics and I will be able to use Avastin with DCVax-Brain and can even fold in irinotecan (CPT-11) if we’d like to.  The caveat which is fine is that we must stay within certain parameters with my ANC absolute nutrophil count.  This is something that is monitored like a hawk anyway.  So, I have to make it this 4 week period while the vaccine is tested for contamination, etc. but that means 2 infusions of Avastin (which I have been taking) and irinotecan now folded in.  Now praying for a) no growth and b) that my immune system stays strong.  I am very happy about this but also because for the first time, a doctor (and it’s my doctor whom I’ve been seeing for two years and trust) pulled all the information together – picked up the phone and talked to Northwest, another company Congate, the Hematologist group, etc.  Thank you for that!  She was caught in the middle politically because everything was handed off to this other office so if she started doing all of this it would be viewed as her “taking over” but she finally just did it and I was very grateful.  Politics.  So sad.

No one has used DCVax Brain, that I am aware of, using the combo of Avastin + DCVax or CPT-11/Avastin + DCVax.  Avastin + DCVax seems to be an excellent combo based on all of my reading.  So, this is all good news in my view.  Can’t change the quarantine period so we’ll just go with the route we placed upon.  Much more to come on Monday because the first Avastin + irinotecan infusion, presumably, will be on Tuesday afternoon.

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