Feb 11 - Steven Update

Most recent bone marrow biopsy shows 9% cancer cells. Of course, much better than after last course of chemo, which was virtually all cancer cells, but they hoped for non-detectable. Even if there was no detectable cancer, he still needs the transplant because a recurrence is almost guaranteed without it.

His white count finally came up today to 1.5 (has been running 0.2 or so, normal is around 3 to 11). He still needs blood and platelet transfusions occasionally, so he's not out of the hospital yet.

He's feeling relatively good, as his fevers mostly stopped a couple of days ago. Of course, he's still on antibiotics.

The current debate with his doctors is whether he will be allowed to go home for a few days before the next chemo round. Most likely they will perform another bone marrow biopsy (that would be his fourth) in the next week or so and if the ratio of normal to cancer cells was improving he would get a little break. If not, start the next round immediately.

They're still working on the potential donors for the transplant, so probably would be another round of chemo before transplant actually happens, but there is a potential, I believe, for the next step to be the transplant if the donor situation works out quickly enough and they feel he can be off of chemo for a little window.

All I know, David

posted by Lydia for Dr. David Rutledge