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Vidaza
Hi Zita,
I hade hoped that members that are treated with Vidaza should tell you about their results - I am in the same situation as you but my counts are lower. My doctor think we should discuss Vidaza but I hesitate since I am asymptomatic with supportive treatment (red blood cell transfusions, Desferal for iron overload and Neupogen for low white blood cells).
As far as I understand it is important to know your blast cell count - if the blast cells increase to more than 5 % you should start with Vidaza. Vidaza is the best treatment for most MDS patients with more than 50 % hemotological response.
Dacogen give much better results in some patients, Revlimid is almost a cure in some patients (specially patients with the chromosome aberration 5q delition). Then some patients have very good results with histone deacetylase inhibitors like valproic acid (Epival) and Zolinza.
Unfortunately we don't know much about what drug is the best for us - they look for so called hypermetylation and study if the hypermetylation is decreasing after each Vidza cycle (Vidaza is a hypometylating drug like Dacogen). Hypometylating means that the pathological metylation will decrease. As long as these studies only are performed in clinical trials all other patients have to wait for response - Vidaza often takes at least 4 months to "kick in". During this time you only get adverse reactions like low counts.
Kind regards
Birgitta-A
69 yo, dx MDS-interm-1 May 2006
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