Good news, drugs are on their way to Melbourne City!



The return of the hair....

 A lovely development today: I got a  phone call today from my Sarcoma Nurse at Peter Mac Hospital to say the drugs are approved and on their way to me......

So, it is predicted that the medication will arrive next Tuesday 10 April. My next consultation has been adjusted to fit in with this- my appointment for this week will be postponed. I will now have an appointment on Wed 11 April, so that the CT scan and the medication regime can be discussed. I assume I will get the run-down on the side-effects as well, and how to look after myself whilst on these meds.

This is not a trial; this medication has already gone through the Phase 3 trial stage and has been approved for use in the USA. The main benefit is that PAZOPANIB has been shown to add Progression Free time to some LMS patients. The meds come in tablet form so I can take it at home, morning and evening, without having to attend at the hospital. It also gives me a further break from chemotherapy, as long as I can be shown to be Progression -Free.

How Pazopanib Works:
Pazopanib is not a chemotherapy drug but one of many "targeted therapies."  Targeted therapy is the result of about 100 years of research dedicated to understanding the differences between cancer cells and normal cells. To date, cancer treatment has focused primarily on killing rapidly dividing cells because one feature of cancer cells is that divide rapidly. Unfortunately, some of our normal cells divide rapidly too, causing multiple side effects.
Targeted therapy is about identifying other features of cancer cells. Scientists look for specific differences in the cancer cells and the normal cells. This information is used to create a targeted therapy to attack the cancer cells without damaging the normal cells, thus leading to fewer side effects. Each type of targeted therapy works a little bit differently but all interfere with the ability of the cancer cell to grow, divide, repair and/or communicate with other cells.
There are different types of targeted therapies, defined in three broad categories. Some targeted therapies focus on the internal components and function of the cancer cell. The targeted therapies use small molecules that can get into the cell and disrupt the function of the cells, causing them to die. There are several types of targeted therapy that focus on the inner parts of the cells. Other targeted therapies target receptors that are on the outside of the cell. Therapies that target receptors are also known as monoclonal antibodies. Antiangiogenesis inhibitors target the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the cells, ultimately causing the cells to starve.
Pazopanib is designed to block tumor cell growth in several ways.  Pazopanib targets  several proteins (called tyrosine kinases) on the surface of cancer cells, as well as targets within the cell. Several of these targets are thought to be involved in angiogenesis (making of blood vessels).  By blocking these targets, it is hoped the cancer will shrink.
Research continues to identify which cancers may be best treated with targeted therapies and to identify additional targets for more types of cancer.



 

A happy snappy ( taken a year ago)


The Journey Continues,

Love Your Life,
Georgia