ny times article By MIKKAEL A. SEKERES
 

Thanks for posting this article. Very informative regarding gene mutations. Really sheds light on the complexity of the genetic puzzle. It reinforces the notion that just because you have a mutation, doesn't automatically mean you'll get cancer.

Mthfr?
 

Very interesting! Thanks Tom.

My family commonly has a mutation in the MTHFR gene. Just wondering if any of you have heard of this in relation to MDS? I haven't been tested myself.

Hi, the whole MTHFR discussion is over my head, there are several threads that have mentioned it in the past. I haven't been tested for it. I did some research on it a while ago and then dropped it after discussing with my doctor. The author of the article has been referenced numerous times in these forums and the fact that it also references a pbs tv documentary struck me as interesting and wanted to pass it on to this forum.

The first parts of The Emperor of All Maladies are viewable now at

http://video.pbs.org/program/story-c...-all-maladies/

From what I've seen so far, it is a really well made series. It is fascinating to watch the history of cancer research, although the personal stories intertwined are tough.

Very thought provoking...

The history of cancer treatment seems to have involved a series of misguided approaches, each one followed by a discovery or advance that had great promise but turned out not to be the magic bullet after all. Still, we're routinely saving people who would have had no hope in past decades, and new knowledge keeps moving us forward.

It's odd that the show didn't mention the FDA when talking about the leukemia (and MDS) drug Gleevec.

Installment #3 tonight...
 

Saw the first - very well done. Recorded #two (the blind men and the elephant) yesterday and #three (finding the Achilles Heel) tonight on PBS.:cool:

This series was an eye opener on so many levels. I was so glad to see it end on a positive note. The immuno-therapy being done by Dr. June for refractory leukemia was pretty amazing. I hope they start using this as first line therapy for children sooner than later. Not sure why they continue put them through the standard high dose chemo/BMT first when it's so destructive and comes with long term consequences. I know it takes them a long time to give up old therapies but this seems so promising and much less destructive. Below is very small article on Dr. June's therapy.

http://www.sciambenchmarks.com/conte...ith-carl-june/