Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A cancer trial’s unexpected result: Remission in every patient

nytimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

171–180 of 242 posts

Re: A cancer trial’s unexpected result: Remission in every patient

#171

Post by macdaknife »

gjreda wrote: post #129
axpy906 wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What treatments in particular?

Imatinib (Gleevac) revolutionized treatment for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Prior to the drug’s discovery, CML patients generally had seven years to live (possibly less depending on how advanced the cancer was). Now their lifespan mirrors the general population. I’d highly recommend the book The Philadelphia Chromosome if you’re interested in learning more.

I am currently taking a similar drug for Myelofibrosis on a clinical trial holed up after a stem cell transplant here at MD Anderson Cancer Center. It's called Itacitinib, and is supposed to prevent GVHD. It's by the same company that makes Jakafi (brand name). These are expensive drugs for sure, and my DR is running the clinical trial. Just wanted to chime in from the inside. ;p

Re: A cancer trial’s unexpected result: Remission in every patient

#172

Post by stickyricky »

zzzeek wrote: post #32

My dad was fortunate enough to get into a trial at Sloan for Obinutuzumab for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. At the moment, after 6 weeks of treatment, the percent of cancerous cells in his bone marrow has gone from 95% to 5%. The treatment was very intense as it overloads the kidneys on the first few treatments due to the dramatic amount of cells being flushed out. This is a cancer for which there was not much treatm…

Sorry to hear about your dad but I'm happy he's doing better.

Re: A cancer trial’s unexpected result: Remission in every patient

#173

Post by macdaknife »

mchusma wrote: post #138

This brings up again the sorry state of medicine being "default banned". Should this treatment be banned for patients? Absolutely not. Is it a small, underpowered study that needs to be replicated? Absolutely. Could it warrant banning in the future? Sure. Should it be covered by insurance? Complicated. We need to unbundle these things.

In the clinical trials I have been a part of the manufacturer pays for the drug and all related study costs. They even pay you a stipend for commuting, lunch, etc.

Re: A cancer trial’s unexpected result: Remission in every patient

#174

Post by stjohnswarts »

scoopertrooper wrote: post #141
mchusma wrote: post #138

This brings up again the sorry state of medicine being "default banned". Should this treatment be banned for patients? Absolutely not. Is it a small, underpowered study that needs to be replicated? Absolutely. Could it warrant banning in the future? Sure. Should it be covered by insurance? Complicated. We need to unbundle these things.

70% of Phase 2 trials fail and 50% of Phase 3 trials fail[1]. Why should the default to be to approve drugs in the early stage of human experimentation? Here are some interesting case studies of drugs graduating from Phase 2 trials only to fail Phase 3 trials on efficacy and safety grounds: https://www.fda.gov/media/102332/download [1] https://www.parexel.com/application/files_previous/5014/7274...

I mean if they've already tried everything else and nothing on the horizon and I just heard 12 of 12 people with same cancer as me had gone into remission after treatment? I'd probably be more than happy to become #13

Re: A cancer trial’s unexpected result: Remission in every patient

#176

Post by stjohnswarts »

BurningFrog wrote: post #162
scoopertrooper wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just gave you a document containing 8 case studies where drugs were found to be not safe after having passed Phase 2 trials.

That happens after Phase 3 trials too. This is about probabilities, and when lives are at stake, you should take some chances.

Especially if you're basically dead without it, and you've tried everything else.

Re: A cancer trial’s unexpected result: Remission in every patient

#177

Post by pastacacioepepe »

hp48fan wrote: post #157
rzz3 wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because (at least) for people with a high risk of dying, and operating under well-informed consent, that decision should be between patients and their doctors alone.

Because it would degenerate into pharmaceuticals selling false hope in exchange for lab rats that are too far along to be saved even if the drugs work. That being said I disagree with prescription pads. I should buy antibiotics for my kid without waiting four, five hours to be seen and processed

> I should buy antibiotics for my kid without waiting four, five hours to be seen and processed

Disagree. Antibiotics should not be taken lightly, especially by kids. Doctors have been far too liberal in prescribing them even when unnecessary and this has caused people to think antibiotics are to be taken like vitamins.

This antibiotic abuse causes issues that are out of scope to discuss here.

Re: A cancer trial’s unexpected result: Remission in every patient

#178

Post by psktcpssl »

digisign wrote: post #139
zzzeek wrote: post #32

My dad was fortunate enough to get into a trial at Sloan for Obinutuzumab for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. At the moment, after 6 weeks of treatment, the percent of cancerous cells in his bone marrow has gone from 95% to 5%. The treatment was very intense as it overloads the kidneys on the first few treatments due to the dramatic amount of cells being flushed out. This is a cancer for which there was not much treatm…

Curious about the drug for non-hodgkins lymphoma, may have helped a friend who passed last year. Too late on one hand, but promising for future folks.

No post body was provided.

Re: A cancer trial’s unexpected result: Remission in every patient

#179

Post by jcutrell »

mft_ wrote: post #144
abirch wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I intentionally avoided using placebo group. The control cohort may not have had cancer at all _____________ The plan is to enroll six patients with MSI, regardless of their primary cancer diagnosis. This cohort will serve to generate hypothesis and initial data to plan a larger study. All analyses from this cohort will be exploratory https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04165772

I appreciate your good intentions, but you should consider not writing things on the internet like this - as both of your posts are effectively misinformation. > As with most experiments This isn't true. It's absolutely standard in earlier trials of investigational agents to not have any sort of control arm. > there's a control group (6 patients). This isn't true. Within the study you posted, there are two different…

I’d encourage comment OP to continue writing comments online, so that you can learn. The damage done in misinformation here is probably extremely limited.

If comment OP was trying to misinform on purpose, it’s a different story as there’s no opportunity for improvement there.

Re: A cancer trial’s unexpected result: Remission in every patient

#180

Post by Wowfunhappy »

hp48fan wrote: post #157
rzz3 wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because (at least) for people with a high risk of dying, and operating under well-informed consent, that decision should be between patients and their doctors alone.

Because it would degenerate into pharmaceuticals selling false hope in exchange for lab rats that are too far along to be saved even if the drugs work. That being said I disagree with prescription pads. I should buy antibiotics for my kid without waiting four, five hours to be seen and processed

The more we use antibiotics, the more opportunities there are for bacteria to evolve resistance.
Post reply on HN