Vidaza 5 days vs 7 days

[Birgitta-A]

Hi all,
Vidaza 5 days is perhaps not so effective as 7 days: http://www.mdsbeacon.com/news/2009/1...osing-regimen/
Kind regards
Birgitta-A

[launch]

Birgitta,

I wonder if some of the difference in 5 Day vs 7 Day is the fact that 5 is IV administered and the 7 is injections? I wonder if this is the difference? The administering of the drug?

Of course, you know Ron's on the 10-Day injection treatments... we're staying with the winning team, but, we often question if 5 Days would be just as effective... it would be more convienent & would reduce Ron's being tired after the 10-Days of treatment. Overall Ron tolerates the treatment well, but, of course, he is tired at the end of the 10-Days of Vidaza injections.

Cindy

[ann]

My husband receives his Vidaza IV through a port. His first treatment was a course of 7 days. He has had three more treatments of 5 days each. He is doing great. His counts are up. He has more energy than he has had in months. He has never been nausated. He has to take MiraLax to keep his bowels functioning but he has always had problems with constipation. We are very encouraged after 4 treatments. He goes Monday for labs and a shot of Procrit and then to his Pulmonary doctor for a pulmonary function test and
later afternoon for his first cardio/pulmonary rehab. His cardiologist is thinking if he can get some of his muscle tone back, his energy level will increase. I know he has congestive heart disease and pulmonary edema but
we are going to do all we can to get him up and running again. He is very special to a lot of people. Their prayers keep us going. God bless all of you who make up this forum. I am encouraged by your courage.
ann

[Birgitta-A]

Hi Cindy,
You know I have read several reports about 5 days Vidaza treatment sc every 28th day is better than 7 days treatment sc. I really don't think the administration mode makes much difference. The patients in this small study had a weaker immune system - lower neutrophil counts - from the start of the trial. They have to make larger trials with 2 patient groups where they compare the dosing regimens.

I wish both your husbands good luck with their treatmen, Cindy and Ann !
Kind regards
Birgitta-A

[helen c.]

i havnt posted in a while but it has been 1 month since last bmb and i wanted to get the chromosone results it has been 21 months since my husband of 48 years was dx with mds raeb1 intermediate risk. he was put on vidaza immediatley 7 day treatment he needed transfusion right away every 2 weeks for 2 months and then transfusion independant platlett count was very good
labs every monday re really did well. in oct. of 08 they discontinued vidaza and went for labs monthly he was in remission at the end of dec. went for labs and he needed a transfusion of course another bmb this was his 4th his blasts were at 2% down from the 5% he started with but all counts were down so vidaza started again and will continue until we dont know when at the bmb in april 09 he was at 8% blasts and transfusion dependant and occasional plattlets too with dseferol infusion everytime also shots of dseferol for iron overload 3 times a week not sure about spelling. also arensep and neupogen sometimes dailey neupogen last bmb in sept 09 blasts were 10 to 12% and chrmosone is trisomy 21 and 3 is gone and trisomy 8 i asked her if the vidaza was still working and shouldnt we try someting else she explained the the vidaza was keeping the chromosones from changing anymorehe gets weekly transfusions and plattlets about every 2 weeksneedless to say we are at clinic almost every day. but i am greatful for every day he is not suffering he gets tired thats it this is long but i wanted to update

[edo288]

I recently attended a local conference sponsored by the LLS and a local oncology clinic involved in Phase I clinical trials. The presenting Dr. Travis stated that the clinical results showed no difference between 5 day and 7 day treatment plans. However, he stated that the 5 day plan generally produced fewer and milder side-affects.

During this same conference, Dr. Travis stated that many oncologists avoided stopping Vidaza treatment courses because patients evidenced building an immunity to the drug in between courses. (However, this was not stated with much authority.)

Ed

[Chirley]

Hi, I'm not on Vidaza. My doctor was loathe to start me on it when I'm still hanging in there with the transfusions. But, he did say that if I was started on Vidaza I would have to stay on it and never come off it. I can't remember if he said that it would make treatment more difficult if I needed it again or whether I assumed that's the reason.

He was talking about 7 days IV per cycle at the time.

Chirley

[mausmish]

I didn't find the results of this study to be compelling. In addition to the very small sample size (22), the following info from the report makes me question the validity of the conclusions of the 5 vs. 7 question:

"Yet the researchers are not so certain. They note that the patients in their study had noticeably weaker immune systems – based on their absolute neutrophil counts – compared to patients in the two major trials that used the seven-day subcutaneous Vidaza regimen.

And, in fact, a key difference in the survival of the patients in the different studies is that almost one quarter of the Washington University study patients died – primarily due to infections – within two months of starting their Vidaza therapy. In comparison, there were very few early deaths in the two seven-day regimen trials."

They say the response rates and response durations are similar for the two regimens. The big difference was in median survival duration. But those results are skewed by the lower immune systems and early deaths by infection.

[Birgitta-A]

Hi Karen,
You know these posts are old. This info is more up to date: "Patients who received seven consecutive days had a higher overall response rate of 74%, compared with 65% for 5/2/2 or 58% for 5 days. Given the survival benefit and acceptable tolerability data from AZA-001, higher risk patients with MDS with AZA should be treated without reducing the dose or number of treatment days from the 75 mg/m2, 7-day schedule whenever possible".http://asheducationbook.hematologyli...ull/2010/1/314
Kind regards
Birgitta-A

[mausmish]

I didn't even notice the date on the thread! It showed up under new posts for some reason. I stand corrected. Thanks.

[Neil Cuadra]

Originally Posted by mausmish

I didn't even notice the date on the thread! It showed up under new posts for some reason.

In case you were curious how that could happen, I'll explain. An unscrupulous advertiser posted an ad in this thread. We removed the ad but the thread was still pushed to the top of the forum display.

[smoore]

My husband has mds. He has been taking vidaza for 7 days and neupogen for 7days. He is on his fourth cycle and then a bone marrow biospy will be taken. He responds well to the vidaza while the neupogen shots effected him immediately after the shot was given, had bad flu symtoms. Recently he was in the hospital and was given Neupogen from a syringe and vial, he had no reaction for the three days in the hospital. After doing research on Neupogen, the prepackaged shot has a latex derived cap on the needle, my husband is allergic to latex. He now gets the syringe and vial shots only. He did have a slight reaction to one shot but he is feeling great for now. He is having more good days then bad. Hope the biopsy shows his treatments are working. For all you wives who have a husband dealing with MDS you are not alone. I know it is like being on a roller coaster. Just make sure after treatements you force them to drink lots of water to get the poison out.