Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Follicular Lymphoma Videos

I cut my finger today and needed stitches. (I was chopping kale, trying to healthy. I should know better.) My finger is all wrapped up, so it's hard to type.

So I'll hold off for a few days on giving you a long post, and give you some videos to watch instead.

(I feel like a teacher who's too hungover to deal with the class, and jusy shows them movies so he can turn out the lights for a while...)

The videos are from OncLive, posted over the last few weeks, and give brief updates on topics in Follicular Lymphoma.

The first features Dr. Gilles Salles, who discusses frontline treatments for FL. He mentions the situations and the options: observation/watching and waiting for patients without symptoms, Rituxan for patients who want treatment (though he isn't impressed with R-maintenance for those patients without symptoms), and for patients with symptoms, R-CHOP or R-Bendamustine (though he notes that Bendamustine is showing some new toxicity that earlier studies hadn't seen). New agents: Obituzimab and R-squared, which show some promise.

Next, Dr, Nathan Fowler explains what FLIPI scores are. This one is important, I think, because lots of us hear about FLIPI but don't completely understand it. If you watch the video, you'll notice that he says FLIPI predicts a group's outcomes, not the individuals within that group. That's important. FLIPI can help a doctor guess what an outcome might be, and prepare for it, but it really says nothing about an individual. FLIPI scores aren't useful in that way at all.

Finally, back to Dr. Salles, who discusses immune responses. Treatments like Lenalidimide can help the immune system fight against the cancer. Other newer treatments can do the same thing, using different tactics.

OK, that was more typing than I planned, but that's typical.

I'm going to have some hot chocolate and a pain killer and go to bed.

More in a few days when the bandage comes off.

obinutuzumab

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had a comment all ready , and it disappeared!
Hope you are on the mend soon.
How did you cut your finger? And how many stitches?
Those things happen so fast, sorry.
Thank you for thinking of your avid followers.
Take good care, best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Donna

Lymphomaniac said...

Donna, I was chopping vegetables for soup. I'm usually pretty good with a knife. I'm OK -- it's more inconvenient than anything.
Bob