Human Error... Whew!

Had my (rushed) oncology appointment this morning. Seems the call I received from the Quebec hospital about the SCT (stem cell treatment) was due to a clerical error. Several myeloma patients were called and unnecessarily worried, but this is a minor human error.

This did give me an opportunity to discuss my latest results, and my myloma remains indolent and very stable. There were a few fluctuations with some numbers so additional tests may be ordered as a precaution, but overall, this is a huge relief.

A turn?

Before I get into this post, let me say that due to stable blood tests, my oncologist (really an internal medicine specialist) said my blood tests would be at 2 month intervals, and it would be 6 months before he would meet with me again. So, I had blood tests done in February and April, with my next oncology appointment in July. Last Friday I met with my family doctor and asked about my recent blood tests. Everything was fine, but my last beta-2 microglobulin levels were at 168 mol/L and that 175 was the true indicator the disease was progressing and that treatment would be considered. Before that, they were 185 mol/L, so I felt pretty comfortable that everything was going fine. Then the phone rang.

About a year ago, my oncologist said he would refer me to a Quebec hospital for a high-dose chemo and stem cell treatment should my levels increase. Today someone from the hospital called about getting me on a waiting list. When I asked for what exactly (procedure or consultation), and that my local hospital had not mentioned anything about my disease progressing, the person on the phone said they would have to speak with the Quebec doctor to confirm the reason. I asked for her to call back to confirm the reason, but she said she would only call if necessary. As if living with cancer wasn't enough of a frickin' cliffhanger.

I called my local hospital's oncology unit, and of course, got the answering machine stating their office was closed at 4:00, even though it was 3:55. So, tomorrow I call to get some more info to get to the bottom of this. Here's what sucks however... my wife has won a gift certificate for a trip, and we chose Vegas - booked for July. Should this call be for the chemo & stem cell party, our trip insurance won't cover the $3k amount of the gift certificate thanks to a pre-existing condition.

Although I am not eager for the autologous stem cell treatment, I am not afraid of it... but that said, I certainly hope it doesn't interfere with our travel plans, and my wife's reward (gift certificate was part of an award). I will call my local hospital again tomorrow to see what's going on. I feel good. I don't feel like I have cancer. My only symptoms have been some pain in my spine from time to time, but that could be due to other factors. However, the Quebec hospital has my info and did call. Not to sound dramatic, but this begs the question... how close am I to starting treatment? We'll see.

UPDATE:
After calling my local hospital and asking for more info, they called back and scheduled me for an appointment tomorrow morning. Curious to see what's up.

A First Anniversary

April 16th marks my 1-year anniversary of being diagnosed with stage I multiple myeloma (15% plasma cells). On the drive to my oncologist, I told my wife I was making a choice to remain positive should I receive bad news. During the past year, I've been able to maintain a positive and fairly relaxed outlook in my health situation. Although I wake up every morning and remember I have cancer, I often forget about it as the day progresses. I am very thankful the disease has stayed at stage I, and I hope I get to make a similar post a year from now. Heck... 30 years from now, really!

The year has flown by, reminding me about the importance of enjoying each day, the simple things in life, my wife and family, and my addiction to electronic gadgets. I haven't gotten the iPad yet, but man-o-man, I am tempted. I've also taken the plunge and renewed my MacWorld subscription for 2 more years. That's optimism.

So what am I doing to celebrate this big event? A blood work appointment in the morning.

Going Public - Have you?

I am approaching the 1st anniversary of my official stage I multiple myeloma diagnosis. So far (and to my knowledge), only family, a few co-workers and some random people in my community know I have cancer. I was thinking of posting this anniversary on my Facebook status on April 16th. Is this a good or a bad idea? My reasons?

• Well, I don't really care who knows anymore. 
• I would like to bring about some MM awareness.
• Surviving cancer for a year is a good thing.

Now, I realize that something like this would really publicize my health situation. I may not be considering all of the potential implications here, so I ask you, dear readers - should I or shouldn't I? When did you decide to go public with the news, or if you don't have MM, when did your loved one go public (or did you/they)? You can either comment publicly to this post, or send me a private email. The link is on the right.

W5 Report on the high cost of cancer drugs (Canada)

Canada - The CTV investigative journalism program W5 will have a feature on the high cost of cancer drugs in Canada. The show airs tonight, Saturday, March 27th (check your listings) and there will be mention of Revlimid and multiple myeloma. I will post a link to the video once if appears on their website. For now, you can access the W5 website by clicking here.

UPDATE:
All 4 parts of Pills, Patients and Profits can be seen here. Two MM patients needing access to thalidomide and Revlimid are featured. 

More on nanoparticles

See that photo? It may represent the future of cancer treatment. What you see are nanoparticles both within and entering a cancerous tumour cell carrying a dangerous payload. The particles deliver RNA interfering material that essentially attacks genetic material in malignant cells and kills them. This treatment is delivered through the bloodstream and the nanoparticles seek out the cancerous cells. According to to an article from Gizmodo:

"The 70-nanometer attack bots—made with two polymers and a protein that attaches to the cancerous cell's surface—carry a piece of RNA called small-interfering RNA (siRNA), which deactivates the production of a protein, starving the malign cell to death. Once it has delivered its lethal blow, the nanoparticle breaks down into tiny pieces that get eliminated by the body in the urine. The most amazing thing is that you can send as many of these soldiers as you want, and they will keep attaching to the bad guys, killing them left, right, and center, and stopping tumors. According to Davis, "the more [they] put in, the more ends up where they are supposed to be, in tumour cells." While they will have to finish the trials to make sure that there are no side-effects whatsoever, the team is very happy with the successful results and it's excited about what's coming."

This therapy has the potential to rid the body of cancer without the devastating side effects of chemo and other treatments. You can read more about the subject here.


Ah yes, the pop culture moment. I've been rediscovering Joy Division, and came across a video of a band called Steel Harmony doing a cover of their song, Transmission. The cool part? The cover band is a Caribbean steel drum band. Enjoy.

Personalized Cancer Vaccines

This story is very encouraging.  CNN.com ran a story about brain cancer vaccines. Unlike traditional vaccines, these are not given to people prior to developing a disease, but after patients have developed brain cancer. In a nutshell, doctors create a personalized vaccine based on the DNA fingerprint of an individual's cells. This allows the immune system to differentiate between healthy and "intruder" cells, and causes them to attack. Much like a smart bomb, the body can deliver a very precise assault on the cancer cells.  Although this therapy is only effective in 40% of cancer patients whose cancer cells produce a certain protein, it is very promising therapy. The article does state these trials are ongoing and the long-term effectiveness of the vaccine is still being studied. Similar vaccines are also being studied for use with prostate cancer patients. For more information, check the following link for the article and video.

Since myeloma cells also produce a specific protein, perhaps this type of therapy could also be developed for MM patients, not to mention for just about every cancer. This is a very promising and encouraging therapy. Hell, I might just make it to my retirement after all.