|
This is a great question. Most of the research that I have seen suggests that patients should continue getting treatment until that treatment fails or transplant. The primary reasons are 1) MDS relapses without transplant 2) starting and stopping treatment has not historically been very effective.
A couple of approaches that sometimes get used are reduction of frequency, so instead of every 4 weeks, maybe going 6 weeks between cycles, and sometimes reducing the dose given during treatment cycles. Some people have been on vidaza or dacogen for as long as 4 years that I have seen. In the end, I tend to follow the "trust the doctor" approach unless it just doesn't make any sense to you.
__________________
MDS RCMD w/grade 2-3 fibrosis. Allo-MUD Feb 26, 2014. Relapsed August 2014. Free and clear of MDS since November 2014 after treatment with Vidaza and Rituxan. Experiencing autoimmune attack on CNS thought to be GVHD, some gut, skin and ocular cGVHD. Neuropathy over 80% of body.
|