[garcia3441]

for blood tests and a consultation. Hopefully I qualify for a marrow transplant, or I check back into the hospital on Tuesday.

[darren]

My mom goes into the hospital tomorrow to begin her stem cell transplant. She was diagnosed earlier this year with multiple myeloma, and has so far done extremely well on the first rounds of chemo, which has killed most of the cancer cells.

But because it's a blood cancer, it can come roaring back in a hurry, so they harvested cancer-free stem cells a couple of weeks ago, and she will undergo high-dose chemo to basically kill off all of her bone marrow, then she'll have her own stem cells transplanted back in.

So she's in hospital for at least three weeks... hopefully she'll be back home for Christmas, but her recovery will be 3-4 months.

Anyway, best of luck with your consultation, and i hope some longer-term treatment options are available to you.

[garcia3441]

Originally Posted by darren

it came roaring back in a hurry, so they harvested cancer-free stem cells a couple of weeks ago, and she will undergo high-dose chemo to basically kill off all of her bone marrow, then she'll have her own stem cells transplanted back in.

That's exactly what they want to do to me.

[D-EJ915]

Wow you guys, that sucks. Umm...don't know what to say but good luck to you Mike and your mom Darren.

[metalfiend666]

Fingers crossed for you dude, and best wishes to you Mum Darren.

[Leon]

Darren, that procedure sounds dreadful! but, because i'm a scientist, it also sounds sorta cool, in a i-can't-believe-they-can-do-that way. best of luck to your mother, and to you too Mike!

[darren]

Yeah, it's pretty amazing. Multiple myeloma is basically cancer of the plasma cells. They grow out of control and cause too many white blood cells to be produced, and in the process, they consume bone tissue, causing lesions in bones all over the body because the marrow is growing out of control.

So the treatment involves:

- using radiation to kill the tumors growing in the bones
- using drugs to strengthen the bones to prevent other conditions (lesions in vertebrae can lead to paralysis or loss of other bodily functions)
- killing the cancer cells with chemo
- "mobilizing" the stem cells out of the bone marrow and into the bloodstream
- harvesting the stem cells by separating them from the red and white blood cells
- killing the bone marrow
- re-introducing stem cells to rebuild the bone marrow and blood

It blows my mind that this kind of treatment is aviailable... it's truly on the cutting edge. The hospital where she's being treated has done over 100 of these procedures, with excellent results.

If she weren't a good candidate for this treatment, there are two or three other drug therapies that are also very effective, but the stem cell transplant is her best chance at long-term remission. Even with this treatment, she will not be "cured"... it's basically to buy time. It could be 2 years, it could be 5 years, it could be 10. But by the time the cancer comes back, there should be newer and more innovative treatments available.

Canadians sometimes moan about the state of our health care system, but my mom has had a great team of doctors who have responded very quickly and methodically to take the best course of action, and we have been very impressed with the level of care and the quality of the treatments available.

And we haven't had to pay a dime.

However, it has made us very much aware of the importance of stem cell research. Those who are blocking it for religious or "moral" reasons need to be educated on the science of it and the seemingly unlimited potential that stem cell therapy may eventually have in treating any number of conditions.

There was a very interesting article in one of the daily newspapers here a couple of weeks ago that underscores the significance of stem cell research in cancer treatment:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...ry/cancer/home

[Leon]

Originally Posted by darren

And we haven't had to pay a dime.

stem cell research, some day.
cure for cancer, some day.

seeing free health care in America...