The weekend was fairly okay. N's urostomy bag leaked into the wound dressing, so both were changed at home. Had a routine CBC done, as usual; WBCs gradually increased as usual. N is on Augmentin 625, twice a day, which does not seem to help control "infection".
Was prescribed Ultracet thrice a day for pain. It seems to relieve her, but works for only 4-5 hours, rather than 8. Have spaced the medication in such a way that the pain seems minimal. Scheduled to speak with doctor again on Monday, 19th. Due to it being a weekend, N is not stressed by doctors' visits and poking and prodding.
We on the other hand, are going through options:
Chemotherapy seems to be too toxic for someone N's age and health. There seems to be no purpose in prolonging life by a few weeks to a few months under what amounts to torture.
Roche's Tecentriq, newly approved immunotherapy drug, which binds to the protein PDL-1 associated with some bladder cancers sounds like a good option, if her tumour expresses PDL-1 excessively (we haven't yet checked). Targeted cancer therapeutics is theoretically head and shoulders better than chemotherapy. Unfortunately, this option seems to be available only in the USA and it is prohibitively expensive in that country (USD 12,500 per month). I have written to Roche (India) to check for its availability in this country and pricing. We have not received a reply, yet. I intend to exhaust any contacts available in that company to see if we can get this treatment here.
Ayurveda is another option that we are exploring. While much maligned in the West and often dismissed as quackery, the pharamcotheraputics of many of the drugs in the Ayurvedic system are sound. I feel that the problems in Ayurveda are more on the lines of lack of standardisation and problems in quality control as the system is mostly unregulated. These problems are being actively looked into and research on actives as well as formulations are being undertaken world wide. As a matter of fact, I feel that if properly systemised and updated the holistic approach of Ayurveda is actually superior to conventional medicine, especially towards multi-factorial diseases like cancer. Anyway, I digress.
CancerResearch UK has on their site listed some promising drugs in slowing tumour growth. Admittedly most studies here are on rats and mice, however considering the fact that (a) these medicines have been used for over 2000 years in India (b) the safety record of conventional drugs for this disease is pretty iffy, Ayurveda seems to be a viable alternative. Using formulations from GMP following Ayurvedic drug companies (Himalaya, Patanjali, Dabar etc.) should also mitigate many of the perceived safety risks.
I have meanwhile, compiled a list of anti-cancer formulations that are used in Ayurveda and am exploring how they work, which pathways they target etc. I will probably put them online once I get them in order. Considering the fact that they have been compiled in relative haste, I apologise in advance for their relative incompleteness.
I contacted an Ayurvedic clinic in Hyderabad. I have yet to receive a reply. Meanwhile I am looking for competent Vaidyas in the Mumbai region.
On the bright side, my uncle, N's son, will be coming over to visit N from the USA. This should please her, as she misses him awfully.
Was prescribed Ultracet thrice a day for pain. It seems to relieve her, but works for only 4-5 hours, rather than 8. Have spaced the medication in such a way that the pain seems minimal. Scheduled to speak with doctor again on Monday, 19th. Due to it being a weekend, N is not stressed by doctors' visits and poking and prodding.
We on the other hand, are going through options:
Chemotherapy seems to be too toxic for someone N's age and health. There seems to be no purpose in prolonging life by a few weeks to a few months under what amounts to torture.
Roche's Tecentriq, newly approved immunotherapy drug, which binds to the protein PDL-1 associated with some bladder cancers sounds like a good option, if her tumour expresses PDL-1 excessively (we haven't yet checked). Targeted cancer therapeutics is theoretically head and shoulders better than chemotherapy. Unfortunately, this option seems to be available only in the USA and it is prohibitively expensive in that country (USD 12,500 per month). I have written to Roche (India) to check for its availability in this country and pricing. We have not received a reply, yet. I intend to exhaust any contacts available in that company to see if we can get this treatment here.
Ayurveda is another option that we are exploring. While much maligned in the West and often dismissed as quackery, the pharamcotheraputics of many of the drugs in the Ayurvedic system are sound. I feel that the problems in Ayurveda are more on the lines of lack of standardisation and problems in quality control as the system is mostly unregulated. These problems are being actively looked into and research on actives as well as formulations are being undertaken world wide. As a matter of fact, I feel that if properly systemised and updated the holistic approach of Ayurveda is actually superior to conventional medicine, especially towards multi-factorial diseases like cancer. Anyway, I digress.
CancerResearch UK has on their site listed some promising drugs in slowing tumour growth. Admittedly most studies here are on rats and mice, however considering the fact that (a) these medicines have been used for over 2000 years in India (b) the safety record of conventional drugs for this disease is pretty iffy, Ayurveda seems to be a viable alternative. Using formulations from GMP following Ayurvedic drug companies (Himalaya, Patanjali, Dabar etc.) should also mitigate many of the perceived safety risks.
I have meanwhile, compiled a list of anti-cancer formulations that are used in Ayurveda and am exploring how they work, which pathways they target etc. I will probably put them online once I get them in order. Considering the fact that they have been compiled in relative haste, I apologise in advance for their relative incompleteness.
I contacted an Ayurvedic clinic in Hyderabad. I have yet to receive a reply. Meanwhile I am looking for competent Vaidyas in the Mumbai region.
On the bright side, my uncle, N's son, will be coming over to visit N from the USA. This should please her, as she misses him awfully.
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