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| More time chillin' with Toby |
The last time I updated this blog was December 2016, let me try to catch you up really quickly.
Remember that this time TWO YEARS AGO, we were on pins and needles hoping that Albert would qualify for a clinical trial on the efficacy and potential side effects of an investigational medication.
The bad news was that his cancer was spreading aggressively, the good news was...he qualified for the study!! Yay!!
A derivative of the LEE011 drug had already been approved by the FDA to target certain types of breast cancer, that are classified as hereditary, with overwhelming success. It has since been tweaked and retweaked to target other hereditary cancers, including foregut neuroendocrine tumors. FDA approval is dependent on studies like these to validate the pharmaceutical's claims that these meds actually help more than they hurt.
So, he was helping answer the questions...Does it work? If so, how well does it work and for how long? And what does it do to your body while you are taking it?
To sound like a prescription medication commercial disclaimer: LEE011 may cause extreme exhaustion, nausea, motion sickness, changes of color to the skin, loss of hair, swelling in the ankles, fingers and toes, peeling of the skin on the hands, sensitivity to spicy foods, and general digestive issues.
Yes, those were all of Albert's documented side effects. And considering all that, he felt they were all tolerable and worth every minute he gained.
More importantly, it was effective in slowing the growth in his tumors! For several months!
But then it stopped working, and the tumors started growing again.
For now, let's back track and focus on the fact that LEE011 gave Albert another year of living life to the fullest! And more time means more...
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| More time hanging out in our favorite places! |
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| More together time! |
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| More time celebrating our favorite people! |
