Vidaza

[Suzanne]

Just wondering if anyone has any information about whether there are other drugs that can reduce blasts other than Vidaza. My mother just finished her 5th cycle of Vidaza and the doctors feel this medications isn't working and it is time to switch to something else. This will be the 3rd switch in a year. First TLK then Vidaza and I think they are leaning towards Dacogen now. Reason I am asking this is because my mothers peripheral blasts were zero, on 7/6/09 they were 1% and on 7/13/09 they were at 3%. She has received 7 neupogen injections over the past month and I am wondering if they are responsible for this or if it is something much worse. Just curious when Vidaza isn't an option what else is there?

Thanks for your support!

[Ruth Cuadra]

Suzanne,

Your signature says that your mother's blasts were at 8% on 6/29 -- is that 2009? I ask because your post says her blasts were at 1% on 7/6/09 and 3% on 7/13/09, both of which are lower than the 6/29 reading. This might indicate that Vidaza is indeed working. The difference between the 7/6 and 7/13 could be the (in)accuracy of the testing or the differences we all have in our blood counts from day to day and week to week. It is not likely that the Neupogen shots caused an increase in blasts.

At the moment, the only commercially available drugs for MDS are Vidaza, Revlimid (most effective for those with the -5q chromosome abnormality), and Dacogen. Vidaza has been shown to have a survival benefit of up to 9 months for high-risk MDS, which includes RAEB-1, while the Dacogen studies show that it is effective but, so far, there is no survival data comparable to Vidaza. This comparative information was presented by Dr. Gail Roboz at the just-held AA&MDSIF Patient & Family Conference in Indianapolis. The handout from her presentation is available for download from the AA&MDSIF website.

Hope this helps.

Ruth

[Suzanne]

The blasts of 8% were in 2008 and they were a bone marrow biopsy. The blasts of 1% and 3 are peripheral. They got those numbers from her routine blood test. Sorry about the confusion.